


The Hunt

by Zeroan



Series: RWBY Superhero Universe [5]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-02-15 22:38:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 75,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13040940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeroan/pseuds/Zeroan
Summary: The world of Remnant is threatened by a menace in red. With flames and words she seeks to remake the world for her to rule, but six heroes have been assembled to fight her, and they won't stop until the job is done - they are The Hunt. (Part of the RWBY Superhero Universe)





	1. This Will Be the Day

Agent Ruby Rose stopped in her tracks, letting her feet sink a little in the soft Vacuo sand, and took in a deep breath. The air carried the salty smell of the sea to her. It reminded her a little of home – though Patch Island was considerably smaller than a whole continent.

She checked her Scroll. She'd been walking for hours now, following the signal, and though she had begun to feel frustrated by the slowness of her progress, it seemed that she was finally getting to her destination… wherever that was.

The Grimm had first been detected at the very southern tip of Vacuo, dangerously close to the capital. Local agents had been dispatched to deal with it – the best of the best, as apparently it was a really nasty specimen – but once they'd gotten to the area, there was nothing to be found there. A false alarm, they had assumed.

But a day later, the Grimm's energy signature was detected once again, near the abandoned Schnee Railway to the north of the capital. The agents went to check – nothing. The Grimm had disappeared once again.

Rinse and repeat. A week passed, the agents chasing after the creature relentlessly, but it was to no avail. Director Ozpin was notified. Sometimes, Grimm moved after Surging into Remnant, and they had to be tracked down, but this was another case altogether. The Grimm was not behaving like a Grimm, which meant other forces were involved, or… the monsters were evolving.

Naturally, Ruby had been selected to deal with this situation. It made for a wonderful first time abroad.

"Signal's getting stronger. The Grimm is probably close," she said, recording a message on her Scroll. The distance was too far to keep a steady connection with her supervisor, Glynda Goodwitch, so she had to send sporadic updates instead. That, and the Commander was worried their communications might be eavesdropped on.

"Just to make clear, I haven't written my last will or anything," Ruby continued. "So, in case I get gobbled up in a moment, I'm leaving everything for my Dad and Yang. Except Crescent Rose. I want her to have a proper burial."

She wasn't _scared_ , but past experiences had taught her to expect the unexpectable. Anything could happen. The only thing she could do about that is to always be ready for trouble.

Ruby started walking again. There was a dune ahead, which only made it the task more difficult. How did people move around in this country? She supposed they got used to it, and it wasn't like Vacuo was _just_ sand. Maybe she should take a real vacation here sometime.

She reached the top of the dune and closed her eyes as the breeze buffeted sand against her face, her cape flowing wildly behind her. Ruby brought her hand in front of her eyes and opened them again. Somewhere ahead, the darkness of night was ruptured by a sudden brightness – a huge military complex stood in the seashore.

Ruby dropped to her knees and looked down at her Scroll again. Maybe she'd taken a wrong turn? But no, the signal was still going strong – in fact, it seemed to be coming directly _from_ the complex.

"Oh, man, why can't things ever be simple?"

Ruby brought her Scroll up and turned on its camera. She zoomed in, searching for anything of interest. There was a gate at the front, with letters on the concrete walls to the side – _Vacuo Homeland Security Advanced Outpost SS_ , whatever that meant. Aside from that, there was nothing else to help her identify the place. But there were people walking around, guards, she assumed.

Ruby zoomed in on one of them. It was a man, wearing a gray mask that covered the upper half of his face and a military uniform that was all white, except for the symbol at the chest – a wolf's head in front of three claw marks, in the brightest red.

"Oh, crap," Ruby whined. She didn't have to check Beacon's database to recognize that symbol. She'd just stumbled upon a White Fang base. How they had taken this outpost without alerting the Vacuo authorities or Beacon, she didn't know. She only knew her target was inside there.

This wasn't good at all.

"Okay, I just, uh… I'm gonna infiltrate a White Fang base right now. I'll share the details later," she recorded. "Commander, if you don't hear from me in, like, twelve hours, that probably means I was caught and I'm being kept in a cage. Again."

She sent the message, then cut her connection to the Commander. The last thing she needed was for her Scroll to start making noise while she was sneaking into a place crawling with gun-toting terrorists.

"Alrighty…" Ruby pulled her hood up and tightened her cape around her. "Here we go."

She started walking down the dune, her hand going to the folded scythe at her waist. If everything went right, she wouldn't have to use it.

She was probably going to have to use it.

* * *

 "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Glynda Goodwitch lowered her Scroll, not knowing whether she was more distressed or angry at the moment. She thought Ruby had become smarter since she'd joined Beacon, but it seemed she had thought wrong. The girl was as careless as ever, and instead of learning from her kidnapping incident, she was joking about it…

"Commander Goodwitch? Is something wrong?"

Glynda looked away from her Scroll to face agent Nikos. The girl – if she could be still be called that; Glynda had thought she couldn't have grown any more the last time she'd seen her, but Nikos had proved her wrong – looked rather concerned, and ready to help with whatever issue Glynda presented her with. _That_ part wasn't surprising at all.

"It's nothing," Glynda said. "I'm supervising an agent's mission, and I'm afraid she's going to get herself into big trouble… as always seems to happen."

Just as expected, Nikos stood up straighter and raised her chin, eyes sparkling with a silent dedication. "If this agent is in peril, I am more than glad to offer my assistance."

"No, that won't be necessary. Don't tell her I said this, but I'm past the point of worrying sick every time Ruby Rose gets into trouble. Careless she might be, she has proven time and again that she's her own savior," Glynda said. "And you are needed here, agent. This job is very important."

"Of course, Commander. I won't disappoint you."

Glynda nodded. She couldn't help but feel proud for Nikos. She hadn't had a fundamental role in the woman's upbringing, but she'd been close enough to watch her grow, and that had been a treat.

When had she become so soft? Maybe she was finally getting into that infamous mid-life crisis everyone was supposed to have at some point. Or maybe supervising Ruby had had that effect on her. She wasn't happy with either answer.

"What's taking so long?" she asked to one in particular, looking around impatiently. They were standing at the top of Beacon's Vale HQ, and the constant wind on her face was starting to get to her. The constant humming from the awaiting jet was not helping either.

"I could go check, Commander," Nikos said, a slight frown marking her forehead. "Maybe something bad happened. In that case…"

"In that case, Roman Torchwick will be running amok in a building full of the best agents in our organization," Glynda said. "I don't think anything particularly bad is going to happen, no. Maybe someone's already fragile ego will be shattered."

Nikos didn't seem very comfortable, but she didn't say anything in protest. Glynda shook her head in wonder. That was the one thing she had yet to fully understand about Pyrrha Nikos…

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait much longer, as a _ping_ came from the elevator nearby and its doors opened. Agent Arc came waltzing out, trying to appear confident, though he wasn't very successful. Glynda could see from afar how sweaty his forehead was, and how his eyes were nervously shifting back and forth.

Behind him, in cuffs and accompanied by two other agents, was Roman Torchwick. He didn't seem all too pleased with what was happening, but he didn't seem angry either. Glynda had to give him credit. Despite spending half a year in Beacon's custody, he had refused to give her anything useful on his allies or the larger criminal world.

"Glynda, oh Glynda! Always such a pleasure!" Torchwick bellowed as he was brought towards her. "So what do you have in store for me today? Going to dangle me upside down from a jet at high speeds? I must say, I never thought you'd go that far. I might crack at last, Commander!"

"That's a very creative idea. I wish I could put it to use," Glynda rolled her eyes. "Your time with Beacon is over, unfortunately. You refuse to cooperate with me, so there really is no use in keeping you. We're handing you over to General Ironwood. But don't celebrate just yet – I assure you he will be just as kind to you as I was."

"Marvelous!" Torchwick chuckled. "I'm shivering with anticipation. A new friend! I _was_ getting lonely…"

Glynda scoffed. "Take him away," she waved, and the agents started taking Torchwick towards the jet. "Agent Nikos, agent Arc. Watch him carefully. He escaped us once, and I don't like his attitude."

"Yes, Commander!" Pyrrha saluted. "Jaune and I will do our very best! Won't we, Jaune?"

"Uh, what?" Jaune blinked. He wiped some sweat from his brow, then looked guiltily at them both. "Sorry… I wasn't really there for that last part."

"I said we'll do our very best to make sure Roman Torchwick gets to General Ironwood's hands without a problem," Pyrrha said, grabbing his shoulder gently. "Right?"

"R-right!" Jaune gulped under Glynda's glare. "We will, t-totally…"

Pyrrha stood beside him for a moment, as if waiting for him to walk away. Eventually, she figured out he was not going to do so anytime soon, so she turned him around and gave him a little push, getting to start towards the jet.

"What did I tell you about confidence, Jaune?" Glynda heard Pyrrha whisper. "Don't let yourself be intimidated. You have nothing to be ashamed about!"

"Yeah… You're right, Pyrrha," Jaune sighed, then puffed his chest out. "Let's do this! It's just another easy-peasy job, no match for our combined might!" he paused. "Well, you'll do most of the work, really. But I'll give a mighty appearance too!"

"That's… a step in the right direction. Keep working on that, Jaune."

They entered the jet, and it began to close. The last thing Glynda saw inside was Roman Torchwick's beaming face. Her eyes narrowed – was he _taunting_ her? Did he really think this was a victory for him?

She breathed out, calming herself. What Torchwick thought was of no importance. His life imprisonment would continue, with only a change of jailor. As for her… she was glad to finally be done with him.

Now, she could turn her mind to more pressing matters – such as the annoying redhead who'd cut contact with her just as she entered White Fang territory in search of a disappearing creature of Grimm.

"Ruby Rose, when I get my hands on you…"

* * *

 So far, she was doing pretty well, or so Ruby thought. She had successfully gotten inside the complex's limits by timing a superpowered sprint when the guards had their backs turned. She left a trail of roses behind as a result, which worried her a bit, but maybe no one would see them in the darkness.

She followed the Grimm's signature to the building at the center of the complex, which just so happened to be the largest one. That was probably no coincidence, she noted. She circled around it and entered through a back door. Any way would be risky, but at least she could minimalize the chances of someone crossing paths with her.

Inside, she found a network of stairs and hallways that reminded her of a maze. Ruby wondered what this place's original purpose was – probably some military training ground, but then why everything had to be so confusing?

It got harder to follow the Grimm's signal inside the building. It was so strong now, there was little she could do to pinpoint its exact origin, so she ended up just wandering the building. She made sure to walk slowly so as to not make too much noise, and she listened for any approaching footsteps. That last measure saved her from being spotted several times – Ruby was starting to feel very proud of herself for being so good at sneaking. And Commander Goodwitch said she was hopeless at it…

Eventually, she found herself at the very bottom floor, having gone down a spiraling stairway for nearly a minute. This place was different from the rest of the building. There were no walls, which left the dirt and stone exposed, and the only light came from little bulbs hanging loosely from the ceiling. This floor had been excavated recently, or perhaps the White Fang had taken over before it was finished.

Ruby's curiosity didn't last long, as her Scroll was picking up the Grimm's signal stronger than ever. She looked ahead and saw a metal door at the very end of the tunnel.

"Deja vu," she whispered. Why did bad guys always hide creepy rooms at the undergrounds of their lairs? Did they all follow some kind of guidebook or something?

Ruby gripped Crescent Rose and took a step towards the door – and heard a faint noise behind her, like a muffle step on the metal stairway. She turned at once, prepared to strike – but there was no one there.

"Okay. Settle down," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her nerves were running high, especially now that she was so close to the Grimm. It was no surprise she was starting to hear things. "Now go."

Ruby opened her eyes and walked towards the door. She stopped in front of it and ran a hand over the metal, then closed it around the doorknob. It was rusty and stiff, but with a little bit of strength, she managed to turn it and open the door.

The room before her was larger than she had expected, and unlike the hallway that led to it, it had proper walls and lighting. A broad stairway circled around the room, leading up to a catwalk that ended in a door similar to the one she had come in through.

Ruby didn't pay much attention to any of that, because the Grimm was right in front of her, in the middle of the room. It was a Beringel, but it was somehow even bigger than the two Ruby had fought in the past – and she didn't have fond memories of those. Luckily, it was held in place by thick metal manacles chained to the high ceiling, the ground, and the walls. That didn't stop it from lunging at her in its primal fury, or her from jumping back in fear, despite being well out of its range.

"J-jeez," Ruby panted, looking at the humongous creature warily. "You really are something."

She was sure that, if it weren't for the manacles, she would be either dead or severely broken. As it was, she didn't even know if it was physically possible for her to kill the Beringel. If it was as tough as it looked, she doubted Crescent Rose could hurt it, even in the slightest.

"Well… Better try anyway," she brought Crescent Rose out and hovered her finger over the button to unfold it…

The door above opened, and a hand covered her mouth from behind. Ruby's eyes widened in shock, and she thrust her elbow back as hard as she could. She felt a dull impact, then another hand passed around her waist, and suddenly she was being hoisted backwards towards the stairs – no, not the stairs, underneath it, where it was dark.

She was pushed to her knees, but the hand didn't leave her mouth.

"Don't make a noise," a woman spoke next to her ear. "I'm not going to hurt you. But if we're caught…"

Swallowing dry, Ruby willed her body to calm down, repeating something familiar inside her head, like Commander Goodwitch had taught her – _my little rose my little rose my little rose_ – and slowly, her heartbeat lowered to just above normal, and she was able to breath regularly again.

She nodded, and the hand released her mouth. Ruby looked back, and at first, she saw nothing in the shadows. But then her eyes adjusted, and she made out the form of a young woman, black-haired with a silk bow on top of it. Her yellow eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

Ruby started to form a question, but the stranger raised her fingers to her lips and shook her head, then pointed upwards. It was then that Ruby remembered she had heard the door opening. Now there were footsteps above them. Deciding she could trust this stranger, at least for now, Ruby crawled backwards, further into the shadows, and waited in suspense.

"This had better be worth it, woman. I don't have time for jokes and- and _what the hell_ is that thing?!"

A man came into view, practically running down the last steps of the stairway just beside them. Like the other White Fang members she'd seen, he wore a mask that covered his eyes, except his was much more elaborate. It was like it was part of his face. A sheathed katana hung on his waist.

Ruby heard her tentative ally hold back a gasp and turned to look at her, but by the time she looked, she was as stoic as before.

" _That_ , dear Adam, is the reason for all of this."

A woman stepped into view. She had raven hair and amber eyes, and she was clad in a short strapless red dress, with yellow flame-like designs that ran down her sleeves and chest. She walked like the whole world belonged to her and only her, and her gaze was magnetic. Ruby found herself unable to look away – she was too afraid – or she was too mesmerized.

"What does that mean?" the man, Adam, asked, turning to look at the woman brusquely. "Explain yourself now, or I will drop this charade we've got going and slash you down where you stand!"

"Adam, please. Don't be so dramatic," the woman said, stopping before him. She ran a finger under his jaw, then turned to look at the Beringel – which had been oddly calm since she'd arrived. "This is a creature of Grimm. A monster, an animal, a bringer of judgment. Whatever you prefer."

"You brought this goddamn monster here, with all my people – and you didn't think of telling me before?!" Adam shouted.

"Monster it is, then," she said. "This creature of Grimm comes from another world, a place so twisted it would render you sleepless for the rest of your life. It could break you like a twig… if I wanted it to. For now, I don't have feel any such inclination," she paused. "Like I told you when we first met, Adam Taurus, all I want is for you to help me accomplish my mission."

Adam stared at the Beringel, his lips twisted into a snarl. Ruby had a feeling that behind that mask were eyes full of hatred – too much hatred for one person to carry.

"And your mission," he said slowly. "Remind me what that is."

"It's simple. I want to tear down the world order we live under today, and from its ashes, bring about a new one," the woman replied, smiling. Ruby felt a chill run down her spine at the sight. "I think you'll like my world, Adam. In it, the strong will reign, and the weak will be at their mercy. Human, faunus, it won't matter. Power – that's all there will be to it."

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out already," Adam said, gripping his sword's handle. "If the strong will rule, and you believe you're the strongest, then why should I work with you? It sounds like you're inviting me to light my own funeral bonfire."

"Adam. I will accomplish my dream one way or the other. Your choice is not to help me or to stop me. It's whether you want to be a god… or you want to be hunted down by one."

She raised her right hand with her palm facing upwards, and a fire came to life above it. It grew and grew, its light filling the room like a miniature sun. Adam stepped back, covering his face. Ruby pressed her back against the wall behind her, and saw her ally do the same thing.

" _Kneel_."

For a moment, Adam looked like he would attack her – but then his defiant expression shattered, and he dropped to the floor, head hanging low.

"That's it," the woman said, her voice echoing in Ruby's ears like a haunting melody. "Allow me to reward you for your loyalty."

She turned her hand, and the miniature sun shrank to a single, nearly invisible dot - then it burst out like a roaring fire, taking the rough form of a twin-ended blade. The woman grasped it by its middle and spun in place, carrying the momentum into a slashing motion.

The Beringel split into two pieces, sliced diagonally from shoulder to hip, but before it could fall, it exploded into flames. The woman spun a finger, and all the fire flew to the palm of her hand – and faded.

"Now you don't have a monster to dispose of," she said, blowing the tip of her finger. "You can keep the outpost. I vacated it just for you, after all," she leaned towards Adam. "And what do you say to your goddess?"

Adam looked up at her. "…Thank you."

"Exactly," she offered her hand. "Come. We have much work ahead of us."

Adam took a moment to stand up, and when he did, he did not take her hand. The woman didn't seem to mind. If anything, she appeared to be amused by that slight defiance.

"Where are we going?" Adam asked.

"Into the fire, so to speak," she smiled cryptically. "Tell me, Adam… have you ever been to Vale?"

Ruby didn't hear Adam's response well, too shaken from what'd just witnessed and heard. As the mysterious woman and the faunus went up the stairs above her, all she could think was…

What the hell had she just stumbled upon?

* * *

 Jaune stretched his arms above his head and loosed a loud yawn, then settled back against the wall of the jet. Pyrrha gave him a sympathetic look. He was so tired already, but they still had plenty hours to go before they reached Atlas and General Ironwood's army station.

At least he wasn't scared of Torchwick anymore. They'd locked the criminal to a chair in the middle of the hangar, where they could keep an eye on him at all times. Pyrrha doubted he could do anything bad even if he did somehow escape his chains, but she'd rather not risk someone getting injured. Standard Beacon protocol – minimize all risks, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Sure, she had conveniently forgotten that protocol a couple times in the past… but this mission did not call for such irregular measures.

"You know…" Jaune said, holding back another yawn. "I really enjoyed it when the Commander didn't trust me to even lift a box right. Now she keeps putting me in these missions, and they're so… _boring_ …"

"Well, trust and reputation come at a price," Pyrrha said. "You can't expect to sit behind a desk forever. And don't you prefer it this way? Don't you feel like you're doing something important?"

"I mean, yeah. I'm not complaining because I'm lazy. It's just that…" Jaune sighed. "What's the point of this mission anyway? Does Torchwick really need you _and_ me to escort him? It's not like someone's gonna hijack the jet and kidnap him."

"No, that's probably not going to happen," Pyrrha nodded. "But you never know. It's a crazy world."

"You tell me," Jaune leaned towards her to whisper. "I'm still processing about the alien monsters."

Pyrrha offered him a little smile. There wasn't much she could say or do to make the process easier for him, aside from making sure he knew she was there to support him.

"If it's any comfort," she whispered back. "I still get a little… distressed sometimes, if I think about it too much. You've just got to tough it out. It'll become a part of your world eventually."

"I'm not sure I want that to be part of my world," Jaune said, looking away. "But it's not like I have much of a choice now…"

"You worry too much, Jaune," Pyrrha patted him on the arm. "One day you'll be the greatest Grimm slayer in Beacon… no, in the whole world. Mark my words."

"Hmm," Jaune smiled tentatively. "I'll settle for second place, if that's alright with you."

"I will allow it, for now," Pyrrha said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check with the pilot if everything's alright. Maybe I can get him to speed up a little."

Jaune clapped his hands together and held them in reverence. "Pyrrha Nikos, you are a blessing!"

Pyrrha turned and walked away, hoping she had been fast enough that he hadn't noticed her blushing. She'd met Jaune just a few months ago, it was way too soon for them to be anything more than friends. Besides, she was pretty sure he didn't see her that way. And if he did…

Well, she didn't want to get her hopes up.

Shaking off those thoughts, Pyrrha walked to the cockpit and tapped their pilot on the shoulder. He took off his headset and looked back at her, sinking a little in his seat, almost like he was afraid of her. Pyrrha didn't mind that reaction much – she had that effect on pretty much every agent she interacted with, and she'd gotten used to it over the years.

"Hello," she said warmly, trying to ease the awkwardness in the cockpit. "How are we flying? Everything going smoothly?"

"Uh, sure," he turned back to the control panel. "Everything's good. Got a little turbulence a while back, but it was nothing really. You must have not even noticed it," he took a look at the radar. "And our flight path's clear. We won't have to worry about any other aircrafts."

"That's good to hear," Pyrrha said. "So, when are we expected to arrive?"

"Three hours and a few minutes, at current pace. We just got above the ocean some five minutes ago."

"Okay. Sorry to bother, I just wanted to check in," Pyrrha said, backing away. "If anything changes, please don't hesitate to-"

She stopped talking, a strange sensation coming over her. It took her a while to pinpoint what was wrong – was she getting airsick; had the jet taken a sudden turn – but when she did, there was no doubt in her mind as to what it was.

"Agent Nikos?" the pilot called hesitantly. "Something wrong?"

Pyrrha tilted her head to the side, flexing her fingers slowly. The feeling that ran along her skin, that reverberating numbness in her bones – there was no mistaking it.

"We've got another aircraft closing in," she said, staying calm. "Somewhere behind us. They've been following us for a while."

"But… I'm not picking anything up here," the pilot said, pointing at the radar. "Are you sure?"

"I am. Trust me," Pyrrha turned her back to him. "Slow down and wait for them to catch up. You know what to do from there?"

After a moment's hesitation, the pilot nodded. That was the good part of having a reputation like hers. People were always quick to trust her in an emergency.

Pyrrha went back to the hangar, walking past Jaune to reach Torchwick. She circled his chair to stand in front of him, and wasn't at all surprised to find him smiling like it was his birthday party.

"Roman Torchwick, what are you up to?" she asked, glaring at him from above. "Tell me now, and we won't make your situation worse than it already is."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Torchwick chuckled. "You Beacon women are all very trigger-happy, aren't you?"

"Don't play games," Pyrrha clenched her fist, making his chair shake with her Semblance. He looked down, afraid and confused, as he should be, and Pyrrha pressed forward, grabbing his shirt. "We leave Vale airspace, and just as soon an unidentified aircraft appears on our tail, somehow avoiding detection, and you expect me to believe you have nothing to do with it?"

"I don't know if you know this, but I've been behind bars for six months. Six months, under the watchful eye of your dear Commander Goodwitch," Torchwick's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I do expect you to believe I have nothing to do with this. How _could_ I be involved?" his smile returned. "Not that I'm not happy about it. In fact, I might have an idea as to what is happening…"

Pyrrha opened her mouth, but at that moment, the pilot's voice boomed through the jet as he spoke to their followers, demanding them to identify themselves. Jaune parted from his spot on the wall, coming to a small distance from Pyrrha and Torchwick, a worried expression on his face.

The pilot stopped talking, and Pyrrha focused on Torchwick again. "What do you mean, you know what's happening? Who's out there?"

"Let's just say I have powerful friends," Torchwick said. "The kind who don't appreciate when their good pal Roman is being kept like a caged bird. No, no. You messed with _me_ , you messed with the _wrong people_."

Pyrrha let go of him and stepped back. He was bluffing – but only partially. He was just as surprised as she was, but he knew whatever was happening was good for him. And maybe he had indeed made a powerful alliance. How, she couldn't fathom, but that wasn't important right now.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune walked up to her. "What's going on?"

"Something bad," Pyrrha said. "Get ready for a fight."

"W-what? Hey, I wasn't kidding before – how the hell are they going to take Torchwick? How do we fight them?" Jaune gulped. "Really wish I was working behind a desk right now!"

"Just be ready for anything," Pyrrha said, reaching for her shield at her back. Jaune shook his head in disbelief, but took out his Dust pistol and held it low, ready to shoot.

Pyrrha pressed her feet against the floor, ignoring Jaune and Torchwick as she focused on the rest of her surroundings. She could feel the enemy aircraft even stronger now – it was right beside them. But that was all she could feel, and it worried her…

Then suddenly, there was a loud bang right above them, and she felt the ceiling bend downward, like something had just fallen on it. A moment later, the pilot shouted from the cockpit.

" _THE GUY JUST FREAKING JUMPED!_ "

Pyrrha raised her hand towards that section of the ceiling, intending to push it outward and repel the invader – but before she could, she heard a new sound, a quiet beeping, getting faster and faster…

A red glow filtered into the jet from outside, and Pyrrha rushed backwards into a wall, dragging Jaune with her. It was well she did, as just a second later, a hole was torn in the ceiling, and a giant talon reached inside the jet.

"What the- _ohnonono!_ " Torchwick shouted as a bird's head followed the talon, opening its beak and screeching. He jumped and trashed in his chair, trying to get away, but it was no use. "Get me away from that thing, you nutcases, I AM SO DONE WITH ALL THIS!"

Pyrrha waved her hand, and Torchwick's chair went sliding across the hangar, clashing against a wall away from the bird.

"Is that a freaking Grimm?!" Jaune yelled, terrified. "Oh my God that's a freaking Grimm!"

"Jaune, calm down!" Pyrrha pushed him back against the wall. "Just stay there and cover me!"

She walked forward, but another talon pierced through the ceiling, forming a new hole, and suddenly the whole Grimm was inside the hangar. Now that she had full vision of it, Pyrrha could identify it as a Nevermore. But knowing what she was up against was little comfort, as the destruction the monster was causing made it difficult for her to make any kind of plan – the ceiling was getting wider and wider, air was rushing in and the noise was nearly deafening her, and the jet was starting to turn…

Pyrrha steeled herself, taking a firm stance. She had faced worse odds before. She could do this. She knew it.

Grabbing her shield, she watched the Nevermore tear through the jet, waiting for the perfect moment – and threw her shield towards its neck as the Grimm went to peck at a wall. Just as the shield was about to slice its head off, however, someone fell through the torn ceiling and kicked it off trajectory, saving the Grimm.

A gray-haired man stood between Pyrrha and the Nevermore, jumping back and forth on the spot with his arms raised to block. Pyrrha took a moment to analyze his movement, then went in, swinging a punch towards his face. As expected, he blocked, and she redirected her momentum downwards to sweep-kick at his legs.

What she didn't expect was for him to avoid her attack, jumping over it and launching a kick of his own at the same time. It struck Pyrrha in the neck, sending her rolling back, struggling to breathe.

That didn't make sense – her Aura was at full capacity, and yet one attack had done so much damage… Was he that strong, or was something seriously wrong with her?

"Pyrrha!" Jaune kneeled beside her. "Are you okay?!"

"D-don't l-let-" Pyrrha tried to speak, but her throat hurt too much, and her words left her mouth fragmented. "T-torch-!"

She raised herself to her knees and looked towards Torchwick, but it was too late. He was already being freed by the invader, and once he was out of his chair, the stranger wrapped an arm around Torchwick and jumped, taking him out of the jet through a hole in the ceiling and disappearing.

The Nevermore started trashing even more, and Pyrrha felt the floor start to give too. A fissure appeared in the middle of the hangar, and sparks and flames flew all around them.

"Crap!" Jaune yelled, fumbling for his pistol. "Pyrrha, what do I do?! How do I – how do I kill that thing?"

He raised his weapon, aiming it shakenly at the Nevermore, and pulled the trigger. The shot missed by a wide margin, exploding underneath the Grimm. Jaune shouted angrily and started shooting non-stop, showering the Nevermore with Dust rounds, but barely any landed, and none did any real damage.

The Nevermore turned towards them and screeched. One talon rose, then slammed powerfully on the floor, and suddenly, the jet was split in the middle, each part falling fast. The Grimm took flight, but it neck was caught in a loose sparking wire, and the recoil severed its head from the rest of its body. Black smoke exploded where it had been a moment before.

Pyrrha looked around, trying to keep calm despite everything, but no amount of training or experience could have prepared her for this. But she had to survive this – she was Pyrrha Nikos, Beacon's top agent, the Director's protégé – she was going to live to see another day!

Jaune was falling, not too distant from her. Pyrrha adjusted herself in the air, connecting her feet to a piece of debris, and boosted herself towards him. She passed beside him and grabbed him by his arm. One look informed her he was unconscious – maybe that was a good thing.

Another look around. The pilot was falling safely, having activated his parachute long before the jet had come apart.

Far below was the ocean. The fall would be fatal, even with her Aura. She needed to slow down somehow, both herself and Jaune…

Extending her free hand, she called out to her shield, trying to locate it amidst all the falling debris. Finally, she felt it, and it came flying to her. Pyrrha grabbed it by its handle, then closed her eyes and focused as hard as she could. It was a crazy idea, and it probably wouldn't work, but if she could will her shield to go upwards, maybe she could negate their speed – but she couldn't do it too fast, or the recoil would be just as bad as the fall, yet there was so little time…

Her whole body was shaking from the effort; her mind was numb and exploding with an agonizing headache at the same time. Her strength waned, and for a split second, she thought she had let go of the shield – but she was only becoming delirious, the panic was getting to her…

And they were slowing down. They were going to land safely in the water. _She_ was going to land safely. She opened her eyes and looked at Jaune. He didn't have an Aura… What if this wasn't enough?

Acting on instinct, Pyrrha let go of her shield, hugged Jaune as tightly as she could, and turned her back to the water.

* * *

 Slowly, Ruby stood up, straining her ears to catch anything more from the mysterious duo, but she could only hear her own breathing and her heartbeat, still going faster than normal, even for her.

"It's safe to come out. They're gone."

Ruby jumped, having forgotten about the other girl after everything she had witnessed. She turned around to look at the stranger, but she was already walking past her and out of the shadows of the stairs, stopping near the center of the room. She stared at the empty manacles on the ground, her yellow eyes wavering almost imperceptibly.

"How… how can you be sure?" Ruby asked, following her. "They could be nearby still. Maybe they'll come back."

"Do you hear anything?" the stranger asked dismissively, then gestured at the manacles. "I take it you know what that… _thing_ , was?"

"…Yes," Ruby looking around nervously. She wasn't supposed to tell people about the Grimm, but she couldn't go with the usual lies after what had just happened. This girl didn't seem the type to buy them, anyway. "That woman wasn't lying. It was really a Grimm."

"A monster from another world?"

"Another dimension, technically. They're attracted to negative emotions and want to eradicate mankind." Ruby frowned. Maybe that was a little too much information.

The girl crouched, and Ruby could sweat she saw her sniffing near the manacles. She ran a finger on the ground, gathering a bit of the Grimm's ash on her fingertip, then brushed it off with a look of hesitant disbelief.

"And you fight these things?" she asked.

"Uh, yep. That's pretty much my job," Ruby attempted a little smile. "My name's Ruby Ro– I mean, Red Bolt. I'm a superhero!"

"…Right," the girl looked back at her over her shoulder. "You work with Beacon?"

Ruby took a step back and reached for her scythe, but stopped halfway through when the girl got up again, arms raised.

"Don't worry. I was infiltrating this facility too. I've been hearing some unusual chatter White Fang, and it lead me here. It just so happened that I saw you doing the same thing, and I overheard you talking on your phone," the girl said. "For the record, you are a terrible sneak. I don't know how many times I saved you from being caught."

"You were following me?"

"Despite the terrible sneaking, you seemed very sure of where you were going. I just followed your lead, and it paid off for both of us."

Ruby crossed her arms. If this girl was trying to get her to trust her again, she was not doing a very good job.

"I get how this looks. Stranger stalks Beacon agent in a White Fang base and now she won't stop asking questions. That _is_ suspicious," the girl sighed. "Just believe me when I tell you – I am not on their side. I'm pretty sure our interests are aligned."

"I never said you were on their side," Ruby noted suspiciously.

"…Good. I'm not," the stranger looked away. "My name's Blake. Blake Belladonna."

She looked at Ruby again, as if expecting her to react someway special to the name. It did sound familiar to Ruby, but she couldn't recall why. But at least it didn't seem like she was being lied to.

"Okay. Nice to meet you, Blake," Ruby extended her hand. Blake stared at it for a brief moment before shaking it. "So, what did you mean, our interests are aligned? I know _I_ didn't like anything that creepy woman said."

"If she's working with Adam Taurus, she's bad news. A new world order… That's typical of him," Blake shook her head. "We have to stop them. She said they were going to Vale – something bad is going to happen there."

"Yeah. I can get a warning out, get Beacon to prepare for them. Wait just a minute."

Ruby took out her scroll and turned it on – only for the screen to become a scrambled mess of flashing red pixels of differing shades. She flinched, distancing the device from her face. The scrambling stopped, only for a strange symbol to take over the whole screen – two high-heel-like objects joined together, forming the shape of a heart beneath them.

"What the heck?" Ruby tapped her Scroll, but nothing happened. "Do you know what this is?"

Blake went to look over her shoulder. "No. That's nothing I've seen before. You can't tell Beacon, then?"

"Yep. Looks like we're alone on this," Ruby put her Scroll away, then breathed out slowly, centering her thoughts. "Alright. We've gotta stop Adam and Flammy Girl from leaving Vacuo. Soon as they do, we lose track of them."

"They'll be going by air," Blake said. "This facility used to belong to the military. They had helicopters, jets… All the White Fang's now," she pointed up. "There's a helipad on top of the main building. Should we take the chance?"

"It's our best lead!" Ruby raised a hand for Blake to high-five. "Alright, Blake, it's superhero team-up time! Let's save Vale!"

"I'm no superhero. But…" Blake smirked. "Yes, let's save Vale."

* * *

 Jaune rose to the surface, gasping for air. There was a loud crash somewhere near, and the next thing he knew, a huge wave was falling over him. He reached for the surface again, spitting out the salty ocean water.

What was happening? What was – where _was_ he?

Jaune shook his head, getting the water and his hair out of his eyes. With his vision cleared, he could now see the sea around him was glowing orange. He turned around slowly and yelled when he saw a jet turbine floating not that far from him. It was like a giant bonfire in the night, and the constant waves caused by splashing debris was doing nothing to put it out.

"Damn…" Jaune rubbed his eyes. This was surreal. A Grimm had attacked the jet – a real life, giant murderous Grimm – and torn it apart, and somehow, he had survived the fall. But that meant… "Pyrrha!"

Jaune spun around, looking around frantically for any sign of her. The raging water and the glare of the fire worked against him, making him see Pyrrha floating nearby and go swimming to her, only for him to realize it was just debris, or nothing at all.

He called out again, and again, and again, until his voice went hoarse and he could only whimper. Jaune closed his eyes and sank on the water, keeping only his nose and eyes above the surface. Pyrrha couldn't be dead. She simply couldn't. If he had made it…

Suddenly, he felt an arm wrap around his neck and the weight of a body against his back, and heard the quietest of voices.

"…saved you…"

"Pyrrha…" Jaune looked back at her. She was pale, so pale, and her eyes were barely open. "What happened?"

"You're okay… Just… don't let go…"

Pyrrha started to slip, but Jaune grabbed her arm, then took her other one and wrapped it around his neck too. Keeping afloat was doubly as hard with her weight added to his, but he managed to make it to a stray sheet of metal and laid her there. He inspected her fearfully, making sure she was breathing properly, then backed off.

Something hit his arm, and when he turned his head to look, Jaune realized it was her shield – unbent and unbroken. He took it and laid it on top of her.

"Thanks, Pyrrha."

* * *

 "What do you think the boss is up to? I mean, this is really unlike him, working with a human and all… Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

The guard rolled his eyes, then gave his partner a warning glance. "No. It doesn't make me wonder. And if _you_ are wondering, well keep it to yourself, 'cause I ain't covering for you if the boss hears."

"Dude, calm your horns. I'm not saying he's up to anything wrong. Just, you know. _Humans_."

"Right. Humans. Now, how about you shut up and-"

A whipping sound echoed in the hallway, and suddenly a thick line of fabric was wrapped around the latter guard's wrist. He didn't even have time to register what had just happened, as suddenly he was being pulled violently away from the door they were guarding, and a foot crashed against his nose.

The guard fell to the floor, dazed, and Blake jumped over him, going straight for his companion. His eyes widened in fright, but he managed to raise his pistol in time and shoot – but the bullet passed harmlessly through her, and she disappeared.

"W-what?" he stepped back, pressing his back against the wall behind him. He heard a great _whoosh_ and closed his eyes on instinct, expecting to be struck by a bullet or something like that. But when he opened his eyes, a girl stood before him, with rose petals swirling around her.

"Hey. Sorry for this," Ruby said. She curled her fist and swung, landing a blow across the man's cheek, and he crumbled to the floor, out cold.

Ruby looked back, watching with barely-contained excitement as Blake smacked the side of the other guard's head to make sure he too was out of commission.

"That was awesome!" she exclaimed. "You went in with your whip and you went _paw!_ and then _whoosh_ with that clone – so cool!"

"Thanks, you were impressive too," Blake said, walking up to her. "It's not a whip, though."

"Right," Ruby looked down at the fabric she held in her hand. "Gonna have to take a look at that later, if you don't mind."

"Let's worry about stopping Adam first," Blake went to the door. "We should be careful. I expect they'll have people on guard up there."

"I'm always ready for a fight," Ruby said. "After you."

Blake opened the door, revealing a spiral stairway that went up and down the whole building. She nodded back at Ruby, then started going up the steps, drawing her pistol. They had been concerned about remaining undetected before, so she had refrained from using her gun, but stealth was probably going out the window soon. Besides, knowing Adam, she would most likely be forced to use it.

They reached the top end of the stairs, where another door waited. At the other side of it, Blake could hear the howling wind, some low chatter, and, if she was correct, the noise of a helicopter starting up.

"Yeah, there's going to be a fight. So much for subtlety…"

"I'll go first and get to the big bads, you cover for me," Ruby said. "Try not to shoot a lot of people, okay?"

"Of course," Blake cracked her neck. "On the count of five." She held the doorknob with one hand with raising her other one, then started lowering her fingers, one by one…

The last finger went down, and she opened the door. Ruby ran through the doorway, disappearing in a shower of petals. Blake covered her face with a hand, stopping the petals from lashing against her skin, then stepped into the open.

As she'd learned from her research of this facility, this was indeed a heliport, and it was filled with armed White Fang goons. At the other end of the roof, she saw the helicopter, and in the space in-between was Ruby's red blur.

The door opening drew the attention of a few of the goons, and suddenly there was a lot of shouting over the noise of the helicopter. Seeing as how she was already in trouble, Blake decided it was best to get everyone focused on her, and not Ruby. She raised her pistol and shot twice at the sky, then took a light stance as the guards rushed towards her.

"You! You don't belong here!" one of the goons shouted, training his weapon on her. "Stay put or else!"

Blake slowly lowered her pistol, watching silently as the guards closed in, sure that they had had her locked down. She looked towards the helicopter again. She couldn't spot Ruby anymore. That probably meant she had gotten far enough away.

"Sorry," Blake said, looking around at the guards. "I don't want to fight you. We are not enemies. Adam, on the other hand… I promise you, he is no friend of yours. Don't risk your lives and freedom on his behalf."

"Shut up!" a goon roared, his lion mane bristling around his face. "On your knees."

"Please," she pleaded. It was futile, she knew – no words would ever change these people's minds, it was never so simple – but she had to try, always. "If you don't lay down your weapons now, you will regret it. Adam Taurus' world… you don't want to have a hand in building it."

"Hey! Guys, she… she looks familiar!" another goon yelled. "Goddamn it – she's the traitor! Belladonna, she's goddamn Belladonna! Shoot her!"

Blake shook her head. She would have been disappointed if she were expecting anything else.

The goons opened fire, and Blake swopped low against the floor, leaving a clone in her place to take the bullets. It staggered back just as she would have, bled like she would have, fell like she would have – then faded away, just as she got up behind one of the guards and wrapped an arm around his neck, cutting the air from his lungs.

Before the rest realized what was happening, Blake opened fire, taking shots at vulnerable, but not fatal body parts of the goons – a shoulder, an ankle, a hand or a thigh. As the others recovered from the shock and fired back, she dodged again, making more clones. Her heart beat like drums in her ears, and she felt more out of breath than she'd felt for a long time. Blake had been fighting the White Fang for so long now… but this felt different.

Something more was at stake, and she was not going to fail now. Dropping her gun, Blake charged at the remaining guards, cracking her ribbon as she leaped – a huntress in the night, falling upon her prey.

* * *

 The helicopter's blades were spinning faster now. It was about to take off. Ruby could see Adam Taurus sitting on the back of it, looking strained. He had no doubt heard the commotion Blake was making, but something was keeping him from going to interfere. Probably the woman in the red dress, who was just entering the helicopter, her back turned towards Ruby.

Ruby stopped short of the helicopter, drawing her scythe and unfolding it in one motion. Quickly she aimed and took her shot, unleashing a light Dust round. She would never shoot a human like that, but Ruby was fairly sure this stranger could take it, and she needed to stop her at all costs.

As expected, the round simply bounced off the woman's back. The villain was still for a moment, then stepped backwards out of the helicopter and turned around. Their eyes met, and like before, Ruby felt a deep sense of fear and awe, but even deeper below, something else, a feeling she couldn't place…

The woman smiled, joining her hands behind her back. "Ruby Rose. What a pleasant surprise."

"What?" Ruby raised her scythe defensively. "How do you know my name?"

"I am always prepared for anything. That, of course, entails knowing my enemies," the villain chuckled. "All of them. Even the tiny ones."

"I'll show you tiny!" Ruby yelled, dashing at the woman. She swung her scythe, aiming to slam the blunt side of it against her foe's head, but with a wave of a hand, the attack was blocked, and Ruby was sent reeling back.

Ruby looked up, catching the sight of a fiery glyph fading next to the woman's raised hand. Gritting her teeth, Ruby raised her scythe again and fired shot after shot, quickly changing her aim, but the woman blocked every round flawlessly, turning them to ash as they passed through her glyph.

"Who the heck are you?!" Ruby yelled.

"You don't know." The woman lowered her hand, and her glyph faded away. "I am almost disappointed. But your Director's ways are as predictable as ever. You are in the dark, Ruby Rose," she flicked her wrists, and fires burst in both her hands, swirling and crackling until they coalesced into two solid black swords. "Allow me to shed some light."

She ran so fast, Ruby barely had time to react, bringing Crescent Rose vertically in front of her to block two slashes at once. The villain didn't let up, dropping low to the right – and then sprung back to the left, catching Ruby's exposed side and swinging her swords. Her Aura made the blades harmless, but Ruby felt how quickly it was being drained from such a simple attack, and it scared her.

"Get away!" Ruby said through gritted teeth, shooting aimlessly. The recoil launched her safely away, like she'd planned, but that was hardly any relief. She felt an impact on her shoulder, and saw an arrow fall between her feet. She looked to her foe – her blades were gone, substituted by a bow of the same mysterious material.

Ruby dropped her scythe and barreled straight at the woman, accelerating tremendously with her Semblance, and swung a fist with all her might. But there was no impact – the villain had stepped aside in time somehow, and suddenly Ruby had a hand around her throat. She was raised off her feet, then slammed against the ground painfully.

"Oh, come _on_ ," Ruby whined. This was getting ridiculous. "Is there _anything_ you can't do?"

"But this is nothing," the woman said, crouching beside her. Ruby tried to punch her, but she caught her fist easily and slammed back down on the concrete. "I _am_ disappointed. Truly, I expected more from the famed Ruby Rose – or, how is it that you're called? Red Bolt, is it?"

Ruby glared at the woman. She felt angry just hearing her name being spoken in such a condescending way. She wasn't some child – she had killed countless Grimm, she was a hero!

"Don't be angry at me, Ruby. Be angry at your precious Director Ozpin, for setting you up to such an embarrassing failure," the woman spoke in a smug tone of voice, her lips stretched in a little smile. "Did he tell you you could be a hero? That one day, you would save the world? Guardians and monsters, a fairytale so wonderful you couldn't resist being a part of it. Am I wrong?"

"S-shut up," Ruby spat out, her whole body shivering. "You're evil. I'm not going to fall for your lies!"

"Hmm. Still no surprises. You really believe him," the woman sighed. "So be it. Clearly, you won't take anything I say to heart. That's perfectly understandable."

She stood up, keeping her eyes locked on Ruby's. Despite their fiery color, her stare was frighteningly cold, but somewhere deep inside, Ruby could swear she could detect something more… pity, or maybe admiration?

"You asked who I am," the woman said. "My name is Cinder Fall. Ask your boss about me."

She turned around and started walking back to the helicopter. Ruby kneeled, breathing hard. Cinder Fall…

"Hey!" Ruby yelled, standing up. "We're not done! Whatever your plan is – I'm going to stop it! I'm going to stop you, and I don't care what you have to say!"

Cinder stopped. "Well, then," she spun back around, spreading her arms invitingly. "Go ahead and try."

Ruby kicked back against the floor, shooting towards Cinder. The world turned into a blur around her, but she kept focused. This time, she would land her attack, and she would put an end to this evil scheme before it even got off the ground.

She raised her fist and aimed it at Cinder's face – and suddenly, she was frozen in place, floating in front of a body-sized red glyph. Cinder smiled at her from the other side, then snapped her fingers.

A roaring fire erupted from the glyph, encompassing Ruby and launching her far across the helipad. She rolled on the floor, disoriented beyond all hope. The flames seared through her Aura until there was nothing left, then faded, surely by design.

She came to a halt, but it took her a while before she could bring herself to look up. When she did, the helicopter was rising to the skies. Cinder was standing inside it, staring down at her. Even from such a distance, her gaze remained as haunting as ever.

* * *

 "Director, if I may. This is urgent."

Ozpin looked away from the window of his office and lowered his mug. What a pity. The coffee was so deliciously warm, but he knew from Glynda's stare that he would get to enjoy it as he would have liked.

"Go ahead," he said, sitting down behind his desk. Glynda took her position at the other side, drawing her Scroll from her pocket. "Does this have anything to do with Mr. Torchwick's relocation?"

"I'm afraid so," Glynda said gravely. "An hour and fourteen minutes after their departure from this very base, we received a distress signal from the pilot in charge of the aircraft, but there was no message accompanying it. Shortly after, we lost track of it," she shook her head. "We've just located the jet. It's currently floating in a thousand pieces on the Vale-Atlas ocean."

"How terrible," Ozpin said. "I assume our agents are safe?"

"The pilot parachuted safely before the situation got out of control. Agent Nikos' quick thinking saved her and Agent Arc's lives. Neither suffered significant injuries, but I sent both to see Peter anyway," Glynda sighed. "Torchwick, it seems, was safely whisked away by the perpetrators of this attack."

"And who would those be?"

"According to agent Arc's description and the best match we could make on our database… Marcus Black," Glynda looked at him significantly. "Someone we found charred to a crisp alongside his house five years ago," she raised a hand. "A resurrected assassin is, unfortunately, the least of our concerns. Black did not tear the jet apart. The Nevermore he had under his command did."

Ozpin took a pause, looking down at his mug studiously. His feelings were right, then. The drink would be going cold.

"That's not all, is it?" he asked.

"Of course not," Glynda said bitterly. "I have worrying news from the other side of the globe too. Agent Rose was in charge of tracking down that disappearing Grimm in Vacuo. Today, she supposedly found it – inside a facility captured by the White Fang. As she always does, no matter how much I reprimand her for it, Rose decided to cut off communications and go in without my guidance."

"And you haven't heard from her since," Ozpin nodded. "Like you said, this would hardly be the first time Ruby Rose leaves you worried out of your mind for a day or two. By now, it's routine, isn't it?"

"Yes, regrettably, _but_ …" Glynda showed her Scroll to him. "She cut off her connection to me. Now, she is _gone_. I couldn't even attempt to reestablish a line of communication with her. Her Scroll has been erased from Beacon's network."

"That can only mean she has been sabotaged," Ozpin said. "And it's not anyone who can do that…"

He got up and turned back to the window. He understood why Glynda had brought this to him. Two of his best agents, foiled in the same day – one faced with a world-class assassin and a Nevermore, the other taken off the grid while chasing after an unidentified Grimm. The two accidents were not unrelated.

Which could only mean the time had finally come. The day he had been preparing for for years was dawning. He felt terrible about it, but he was finding the thought rather… exciting.

"Glynda," he took a sip of his coffee. "Do assemble the team, please."

* * *

  **THE HUNT**


	2. Recruiters

Blake turned off the stove and picked up the boiling water. She'd nearly forgotten about it, having been listening perhaps a little too intently to the noises coming from the only other room in the apartment. Ruby seemed restless, which was the opposite of what Blake expected of someone who'd just gotten beaten up by an evil mastermind.

Truthfully, she was beginning to regret bringing Ruby here. It wasn't that she didn't trust the girl, but rather that she was reluctant to share any more about herself than was necessary, and surely a hundred different questions were coming to Ruby as she waited in this dingy, forgotten hole Blake called home.

Blake put an old tea bag into the water, and after a couple minutes, poured some of it into two teacups. Maybe this was good for her. It had been way too long since she had been in extended contact with anyone who didn't want to kill her or ship her off into the wilderness. And, as far as humans went, Ruby seemed... fine.

She took a deep breath, then picked up the water jar and the teacups and walked into the living room. Ruby was sitting on the half-ruined sofa in the corner, tapping her fingers along the length of her weapon.

"Jasmine," Blake said, pulling a chair to sit across from her. She offered a teacup. "Sorry if it's not that good. I buy tea in bulk, but I go through it very slowly."

"Hmm? That's fine," Ruby took the offered cup, took a quick sip, then looked down at her weapon again. "It's not bad at all…"

Blake hung back, taking a sip off her own cup. Ruby was saying one thing, but her body language and tone of voice indicated something else entirely. Maybe Blake was paying too much attention after years without holding a real conversation with anyone, but she was fairly sure about this.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "Besides Vale being in peril, that is."

"Well, I didn't notice it until we got here, but…" Ruby sighed, holding up her weapon. "That evil woman hurt my baby. Look!" she pointed at the scythe, and Blake leaned in closer. It was hard to see, but a section of the cable, close to the blade, had the imprint of four fingers around it, like the metal had been melted by a fist of molten lava.

"Is it bad?" Blake had no clue how the thing was supposed to work normally, so she couldn't really comprehend the damage. "I mean, it seems like it could still work…"

"Is it bad?" Ruby repeated. Blake might as well have cursed her whole family, so affronted she sounded. "It's _really_ bad! See, I folded it once because I hadn't noticed, and that made everything screwy. It's a very fine mechanism, one little piece gets damaged, and that's that!" she glared at the scythe, grumbling under her breath. "'Course, doesn't help that I built it when I was fifteen… This wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't for that fun fact…"

"Wait, how old are you?" Blake asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sixteen," Ruby said, then swiftly looked up at Blake to add, "And nine months!"

Blake took a sip of her tea. Ruby certainly _looked_ young, but she hadn't assumed anything from that. But she couldn't be that surprised. Pyrrha had been recruited at the tender age of seven, she recalled being told by the agent. As for Blake herself, well…

"This is going to be a lot of trouble, I can already tell," Ruby rubbed her forehead tiredly. "But enough about that!" she put the scythe away, laying it down delicately on the sofa beside her, then looked eagerly at Blake. "We need to do something about that Cinder Fall person! I know it's almost sunrise and you're probably as exhausted as I am, but if you could drive me over to Shade – it's just a couple hours away, right? – Beacon's got a branch there, and from there I can contact the higher-ups…"

"I suppose…" Blake frowned. "Ruby, would you mind showing me that phone of yours?"

"You mean my Scroll?" Ruby frowned. "Sure. I don't think it's gonna be useful. No offense, but you don't seem the hacker type, Blake…"

Ruby took the phone from her pocket and offered it to Blake. She turned it in her hands - the screen still showed that same symbol from before, and it was completely irresponsive. Blake had been too caught up with avoiding the White Fang before, but now she easily recognized the device.

"Wait just a moment," Blake said, going over to her bedroll at the corner of the room. She turned over her pillow, and there it was – a Scroll nearly identical to Ruby's. "Can you use this?"

"Woah, you have a Scroll too? How?" Ruby looked at her, eyes wide, but Blake just sat down again and gave her the device. The agent shook her head, then picked up the Scroll and started typing away. "Uh, yeah, this is _very_ useful. Weird, though, you don't have any of the usual functions installed in this. No contacts, either. You don't really use this, do you, Blake?"

"I don't even know what it's used for," Blake said. She'd considered throwing the thing away more than a few times, believing without a doubt that Beacon was using it to keep track of her, but she'd always decided otherwise. She didn't exactly _trust_ Director Ozpin, but she thought it was better to comply to his wishes.

"Okay, I'm calling my boss," Ruby said. "Uhm, you probably wanna be in this conversation, right?"

Blake had no time to refute that, for as soon as Ruby put the phone on speaker, the call was picked up and the voice of a woman came through.

" _Belladonna? This is Glynda Goodwitch of Beacon – how exactly did you reach me?_ "

"Miss Goodwitch!" Ruby shouted joyfully, then sank a little on the sofa with a guilty expression on her face. "I mean… Commander. Hi!"

" _Ruby?_ " Goodwitch replied, sounding halfway between relieved and alarmed. " _Do you mind explaining why you're not calling me from your own Scroll?_ "

"Sure. Just so you know, though, Blake's also here and she's listening. I mean, it would be weird if I was using her Scroll otherwise – like I had stolen it or something!" Ruby laughed shortly. "Say hi, Blake!"

"Hello."

" _I have many questions_ ," Goodwitch said, now sounding just tired. " _Please enlighten me, agent Rose, about everything that happened after you cut off communications with me._ "

"Sure," Ruby breathed in deep. "Okay, so, I snuck inside that White Fang base to get to that Grimm you and the Director sent me to track. Apparently, I'm a terrible sneak, so Blake helped, but I didn't know that until later. Anyway, I found the Grimm, and that was when things got _really_ weird…"

Blake listened, a little perplexed by Ruby's upbeat attitude as she narrated the night's events. It was more of a performance than anything else. Blake wondered if that was how Ruby coped with these kinds of situations, or if she actually was this pure of a person.

"…but we beat up a lot of the White Fang and escaped, and now we're in Blake's apartment drinking tea," Ruby took a sip. "It's really good, thanks."

Goodwitch took a long time to respond. " _Did she call herself Cinder Fall?_ "

"Yep," Ruby said, frowning. "And she made it sound like her name was a really big deal. She told me to ask Director Ozpin about her. _Is_ she a big deal?"

" _In a way,_ " Goodwitch said, and Blake thought she sounded rather eager to get away from the topic. " _And Adam Taurus? Miss Belladonna, you told us he died four years ago. Was that a lie?_ "

"It wasn't a lie," Blake sat up, clenching her fists. "Up until today, I believed he was dead. I watched that train explode, and he was inside it," she paused, glancing at Ruby anxiously. "I've been working against the White Fang ever since, and there was no sign of him everywhere. Maybe if I'd known to look, but…"

" _Okay. I believe you, Belladonna_ ," Goodwitch sighed. " _Well, this news isn't exactly great, but it's good to hear from you, Ruby, and you've confirmed mine and the Director's suspicions that something big is about to go down. Now we know where to act – if Fall tries something in Vale, we will be prepared,_ " she paused. " _I will arrange transport to take you back to Vale. Miss Belladonna, you should go with agent Rose._ "

"Is that a suggestion?" Blake asked, though she already knew the answer.

" _Actually, I would have contacted you regardless of this development,_ " Goodwitch said. " _The Director gave you the Scroll for a reason. This is it._ "

Blake said nothing in response. She didn't like that Beacon was treating her like she was one of their agents, after four years of absolutely no contact, but she wasn't against helping to deal with whatever would be happening. Vale was not her home, but that didn't mean she would stand idly by when it was threatened, and with Adam being involved…

" _You two won't be seeing me when you arrive in Vale_ ," Goodwitch said. " _I'll be landing in Atlas shortly. There's more help yet to recruited. Until then, be careful – and Ruby, please refrain from scaring Belladonna away with your… everything._ "

The call ended abruptly. As soon as it did, Ruby jumped up from the sofa, muffling a scream with her hands. Blake flinched, only barely stopping herself from reaching for her gun.

"Blake, do you know what this means?!" Ruby yelled. "Do you? Do you?!"

"W-what?" Blake asked, distancing her teacup for safety.

"Miss Goodwitch is assembling the team! Our superhero team-up is about to get a whole lot bigger!" Ruby squealed. "I. Am. So. _Excited_!"

Blake parched her throat with another sip. She dearly hoped the rest of this team wasn't as energetic as Ruby.

* * *

 "Yes, please make sure that's ready. _No_ , not this way, _this_ way for the projector. Drinks? Look, I am not the person to – it's a daylight event, we aren't serving – is that _vodka_?"

Weiss stared at the latest in her long line of helpers, utterly perplexed. She thought she had gone through the worst of showcases when Torchwick had invaded one and nearly killed her afterwards. Somehow, this was worse.

"Alright, people, if you can't be competent for the simplest of tasks without me looking over your shoulders…" she spoke out loudly, raising her hands. "Maybe I should go on a break, and for its fifteen-minute duration, you could try and be a bit self-reliable. How about that?"

The helpers looked at each other in astonishment. Before they could respond to her suggestion, Weiss turned and walked away, exiting the event room and slipping into the reception hall of the SDC headquarters. A cacophony of shouts came from behind her, but she shut the door and leaned against it, taking a deep breath.

"Why do I keep doing this?" she closed her eyes, trying to collect her thoughts.

Truthfully, she didn't have a choice. It was either take charge of the situation, or let her father or one of his puppets direct the first presentation of the Dust Core technology to the public, and she didn't trust anyone but herself to not screw that up. Not that her father didn't know how to run a presentation – he was the best in the business, really – but she knew in which path he would take this, and she wasn't at all fond of it.

"You choose to carry this burden, you bear with the consequences."

This was what she kept telling herself, day after day of trying to change her family company for the better. It wouldn't be so difficult if it weren't for her father's steel opposition. It came as a bitter surprise to her, but having superpowers did _not_ help with changing the ways of corrupted, greedy and immoral businessmen.

"Take a walk," she whispered, getting off the door and walking out of the building. The street was crowded, and the Atlas air was as chilly as ever, but just having the sun rain its light on her face made her feel a lot better.

She could do _this_ now, and maybe that made it all worth it. Her father was still her father, but she was not confined to his every whim anymore. And that was better than any superpower.

Running a simple presentation didn't sound so bad after all. Barring any unfortunate incidents… she was almost looking forward to it now.

Her phone buzzed in her purse, and Weiss picked it up with an exasperated sigh, more than expecting one of her assigned helpers to be calling her for, very ironically, _help_.

Instead, it was Glynda Goodwitch.

Suddenly, Weiss very much wanted to smash her phone on the sidewalk.

* * *

 Pyrrha sat up and stretched her arms above her head. Her ears were buzzing, but soon they popped and she could take in the silence in peace. She felt her body slowly recovering from its numbness, and her Aura coming to life around her, once again at full strength.

She blinked and looked around the room. She was on a bed in an infirmary. Beacon – probably the main headquarters, on the Vale countryside. Pyrrha didn't end up here often, but she recognized it anyway. It was almost comforting to be here, for once.

Beside her bed was a chair, and on it was Jaune, holding his head in one hand as he slept soundly. Pyrrha hesitated to wake him. He was having a nice dream, from the looks of it. But her professional side took over eventually, and she reached for him and shook him by the shoulder.

"Hmm?" he blinked several times, then wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Pyrrha, you're awake."

"So it appears," she took her pillow and leaned it against the wall behind her so she could sit more comfortably. "You make it sound like I was out for a long time."

"Not that long, but you were half-asleep on the flight here," Jaune said. " _Here_ is Vale HQ, by the way," he added. "We got here by midnight, and that's when you finally gave in and slept. Now…" he glanced at his Scroll. "Almost noon."

Pyrrha held back a sigh. Nearly twelve hours, and that was without accounting for the time before the infirmary. She was never out of commission for this long, and frankly, it was starting to bother her that she'd suffered such a heavy blow.

"Torchwick… Tell me they got him."

"He got away. And we don't have a clue where he went. Sorry," Jaune said. "But the Commander thinks she knows who the guy that helped him escape is. Marcus Black. Only problem is, our guy looked way too young to be him," he paused. "Also, Marcus Black is dead, so…"

"That's worrying," Pyrrha said. "I'm sure we'll come to the bottom of the situation soon enough. Torchwick can't hide for long."

"That's the thing… Apparently, Torchwick's escape is only the start of our problems," Jaune shook his head. "Something _big_ is going down. Commander Goodwitch has gone to get more people to help."

"Oh. Well, I'm sure whatever happens, we'll be able to handle it."

Pyrrha stretched her arms again, then got off the bed and walked around a little, testing her legs. She felt just fine. Her uniform and shield were on a table at the corner of the room, and she went to retrieve them.

"I'll be back in a minute," she said, going into the adjacent bathroom. She checked herself on the mirror for any permanent injuries, but aside from a bruise or two, it seemed that her Aura had protected her well enough from harm. She put on her uniform, fixed her shield on her back, and went out the door.

Jaune was sitting exactly as she had left him, staring silently at nowhere in particular. Pyrrha walked to him, getting a little worried. He wasn't the most confident person she knew, having had plenty moments of self-doubt and crisis since she'd met him, but this felt like a new low.

She stopped behind him and laid her hands on his shoulders, squeezing a little to get his attention. "Jaune, talk to me," she said softly. "What's the problem?"

"Besides me being useless and you having to save me for the thousandth time?" he scoffed. "Nothing's the problem."

"Jaune…" she sighed. "You don't have to be ashamed. We were falling from the sky, what were you supposed to do?"

"Yeah, and before that? That Grimm came and I just _froze_ – and when that guy attacked you, I still didn't do anything. Things could have gone even worse, and still I would have just watched!"

"Jaune, it's perfectly understandable that you froze. That was the first time you saw a real Grimm, and it was huge and in your face and the jet was coming apart…" Pyrrha paused. "You're too hard on yourself. If I were in your position, I would-"

"You would have done something!" he shouted. "You don't get it, Pyrrha. Just because you're perfect, doesn't mean I'm just... mediocre. I'm useless, and you trying to convince me otherwise doesn't help."

Pyrrha stepped back, biting her lip. "I'm not perfect," she turned away. "Clearly, I am not."

For a moment, silenced reigned in the room. Then, with a heavy sigh, Jaune got up and touched her elbow.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for," he muttered. "I'm just… I'm tired of letting people down."

"You've never let _me_ down," Pyrrha said. "I understand that it's hard. I also understand that I'm… I'm not a good point of reference when it comes to this stuff," she smiled at him. "But I'll be there for you as long as you're there for me. I think that's how we work, isn't it?"

After a moment, Jaune nodded. "Sure. I just don't know who's more of a lost case between the two of us.

Pyrrha shrugged. "It's you."

"Wait, what?" Jaune's eyes widened. "That's a total shift coming from you!"

"Yeah, well. I think some tough love is in order."

She eyed him sideways. Surely, he would take the hint. _Surely_.

"Don't ride me too hard!" Jaune said cheerfully, starting towards the exit. "Let's check out what's going on!"

Pyrrha groaned. He was going to be a lot of work.

* * *

 Weiss walked inside the diner, keeping an impassive expression as she looked around the place. The chime of the door opening drew the attention of some of the costumers inside, and she felt their stares fall first on her, then specifically her left eye. She stopped herself from turning away, instead raising her chin and walking onward, and just like that, the stares went away.

It didn't take her long to find Goodwitch, sitting at the farthest table on the corner of the diner. Weiss held back a sigh as they crossed eyes, the Commander giving her a little smile. It was too late to turn back around and leave. Even if it wasn't, it would be pointless. Goodwitch would just come to her eventually, and then Weiss wouldn't have the luxury of being prepared.

"Good afternoon, Miss Schnee," Goodwitch said as Weiss took the seat across from her. "I hope I'm not being an inconvenience. I would have called sooner, but the matter I've come to discuss with you is… let me put it this way, it caught us all by surprise."

"If you must know, yes, this is an inconvenience. You well know what's happening tomorrow – you signed off on it months ago, and I know you're not the type to forget something like that," Weiss rolled her eyes. "I must admit, however, that this is a much-needed breath of fresh air. It's been weeks of preparation, and it gets more exhausting each day."

"You must be glad that it'll be over soon, then," Goodwitch said. "Let's not linger on the formalities. I know you're not very fond of me, and when it comes to Beacon, your patience is… limited."

"Is that on my file?" Weiss crossed her arms. "I suppose this is why you chose this place to meet. Trying to appease me with some delicacies?"

"You've seen right through me," Goodwitch raised her hand, calling for the diner staff. "Their sandwiches are delicious. Have you ever been here?"

Weiss refused to answer. Goodwitch was right – the faster this was over, the happier she would be. Though she doubted she would leave here in a good mood regardless of how their conversation went.

"Straight to the chase, then," Goodwitch said, lowering her hand. "Roman Torchwick was taken from our custody yesterday. His allies, I'm afraid, will not be satisfied to stop there – they have plans, and people are going to get hurt because of them."

Weiss stared at the Commander, perplexed. "Excuse me? Did you just say Torchwick is _free_? How could you let that happen, it's barely been-"

"Good, I've got your attention," Goodwitch leaned towards her. "Torchwick is still bitter, so he may target you. We don't believe he will, but it is a possibility. I tell you this so you understand that, really, it is in your best interests to work with us on what's coming."

"What's coming?" Weiss repeated, growing even more frustrated than she was before. "What does that even mean? If Beacon is in trouble, or if it's _about_ to be in trouble, and you want _my help_ – you have agents for that! If Torchwick comes after me, I can very well defend myself, and if-"

"Excuse me, butting in. You ladies wanted to order something?"

Weiss pursed her lips, throwing the briefest of glares at the interrupting waitress before setting her eyes on Goodwitch. The Commander paid her no mind as she gave a very ostensive description of the meal she wanted, the waitress humming along peppily as she wrote down the order.

"Alrighty, let me double check this… Double egg? Yep. Fries on the side? Excellent. Meat well-done – wait, do I know you?"

Weiss sighed, about to snap instinctively at the waitress that she was, indeed, the heiress of the SDC and that, indeed, she had been targeted by Roman Torchwick that one time and, _indeed_ , she knew her company was responsible for a lot of bad things and she was working on fixing that. But when she looked up, the waitress was not staring at her, but at Goodwitch.

"Why, yes!" Goodwitch put on a charming smile. "What a pleasant surprise. It's been so long, Miss Xiao Long. What are you doing here in Atlas of all places?"

Weiss did a double take, then focused on the waitress. She didn't look anything special, just the type she expected to find working the job. She was pretty, Weiss gave her that, but how she was acquaintances with Glynda Goodwitch – as far as she knew – was a mystery.

"Oh, you know. Living life, soul-searching," the girl said, looking a little less cheerful, but keeping her smile. "Have you talked to my Dad recently? Or uncle Qrow?"

"Not about you, if that's what you want to know," Goodwitch said.

"What about Ruby? Is she why you're here? Please tell me she hasn't been kidnapped again."

"No. Well, she almost was. She's doing just fine now, I assure you."

"Oh, thank God. I can't handle that stress again. Although, I have been itching to beat up _anything_ lately."

Weiss put her hands up, drawing a line after what she'd just heard. "Excuse me? I'm _still_ here!"

The waitress turned to look at her, appearing annoyed at the interruption. Weiss scoffed at that – _she_ had been called by Goodwitch, she wasn't going to just sit there and wait for her to have a conversation with a complete stranger.

"Apologies. Miss Schnee, this is Yang Xiao Long," Goodwitch said. "Yang, this is Weiss Schnee."

"Ah! Yeah, I recognize you know. You're all over the news every other Saturday," Yang nodded. "That's a wicked scar, by the way."

" _E_ _xcuse me_?" Weiss gasped. "I'll have you know that-"

"It was a compliment. Jeez, ease up a bit, will you?" Yang rolled her eyes. "Alright, I can see I interrupted something very, _very_ serious, so unless you want something, I'll be stepping away now."

Weiss stared at her fixedly, demanding that she did just that. After a nod from Goodwitch, Yang gave Weiss one last careful look, then walked away.

"Okay, now that _she_ is gone," Weiss turned back to Goodwitch. "Why did you call me? And don't tell me you only wanted to warn me about Torchwick – you want something from me, don't you?"

"You're right, Miss Schnee, I do," Goodwitch said. "Like I said, something is coming – something so big that even Beacon's top agents won't be enough to stop it. I cannot tell you more than that, partly because _we_ don't know enough ourselves," she paused, as if pondering how much she was willing to share. "Director Ozpin predicted a day would come when Remnant would need more protection than Beacon could ever afford it. He's been searching for the right people ever since – and you, Miss Schnee, are one of them."

"I see," Weiss said, her voice becoming ice cold. "You need my Semblance. That's why you're here."

"No. We need _you_ ," Goodwitch stated, pointing at her. "You may not hold a high opinion of Beacon, but that doesn't matter, not now. We don't need you to like us, we need you to _fight_ for us. And Weiss, if there is one thing that I'm certain about you, is that you're a fighter. You choose a fight, and you stick to it – that's what you've been doing for the past six months, and you'll continue for as long as it takes for you to win."

They fell silent, the sounds of the other customers' conversations and the kitchen at the back taking over. Weiss stared at Goodwitch. She knew Goodwitch meant everything she said, and that she was only coming to her because she truly believed she could help. But as dignified as Weiss felt hearing the Sub-Director of Beacon talking about her like that, she also couldn't help but also feel bitter. Six months was a long time, but it felt like it was just yesterday when she'd had cuffs closed around her wrists.

"I am flattered you think so highly of me, and I thank you for warning me about Torchwick, but I have to decline," she said. "You once condemned me for doing something I felt was right, but later, you looked the other way. I was grateful for that. I believed you and I had come to an understanding. Now, I am beginning to think you looked the other way only because I had become useful to you. Well, I won't look the other way."

She stood up, and the look of exasperation on Goodwitch's face was a mild delight.

"I'm sorry, but I won't be your soldier," Weiss said. "I am sure you have plenty lined up already."

She turned her back to the Commander and walked away, passing a very confused Yang and exiting the diner. Outside, she paused to take in a deep breath. She didn't regret anything she had said, and she definitely didn't plan to be kinder to Goodwitch if they ever met again, but the conversation had rattled her, and like it or not, she was curious what was so dangerous that Beacon was coming to her for help.

She looked back, and through the glass walls of the diner saw Yang Xiao Long had taken her seat, and was now talking animatedly with Goodwitch. She had a cup of coffee on her hands, and it was _boiling_.

And suddenly, Weiss knew Glynda Goodwitch had not chosen that diner for its delicious sandwiches.

* * *

 Off. On. Off. On. Off.

"Would you stop that?"

Torchwick put his lighter away, making a show of it to let the kid know how much he resented her. She rolled her eyes at him, sitting atop her crate, and turned back to her companion and started talking in whispers again.

He held back a groan. After his fantastic kidnapping, which had involved jumping between planes and big evil birds, both things he'd been refused explanation of continuously, the last thing he'd expected was to wait in a dark warehouse located who-knows-where.

He wasn't an ungrateful man. He appreciated the help immensely. But as it was expected of him to be a part of some sort of big scheme, it couldn't hurt for him to be filled in on the details. His newly-regained freedom – which he planned to make much better use of this time around - was at stake, after all.

The fact that his two helpers were children didn't help either. Well, not children technically, but they were as good as. After he was rescued and secured on their jet, the two had taken to bickering incessantly, and that was a tad more granting than he could handle after six months of prison.

Plus, he just couldn't figure out the girl. The boy was easy to understand – a brute with some finesse, probably had a background as a thug or, if Torchwick was lucky, an assassin. The girl was just weird, with her green hair and her red eyes, which sometimes she'd focus on him and things would become… _strange_. It never lasted more than a few seconds, so he couldn't very well remember what he'd seen, but he _knew_ something was off, and she knew he knew and he knew that she knew he knew – and it was all very taxing on his patience!

"Seriously!" he nearly shouted, going to pace in front of the two. "Won't _something_ happen? What are we waiting for?"

The pair looked at him, then the boy turned to the girl. She sighed and rolled her eyes, then smiled down condescendingly at Torchwick. "We are _waiting_ for the _rest_ of us to _arrive_ ," she said slowly, like she was explaining basic math to a child. "We cannot _start_ on the plan without _everyone_ being present. Therefore, we _wait_."

"Just tell me what the plan is, then!" Torchwick exclaimed. "I'm going mad over here. What harm will it do? Help out a pal, will you?"

"We are not pals," the boy noted. "We are colleagues at best."

"The _boss_ wouldn't appreciate us sharing _her plan_ with her still _absent_ ," the girl continued. "Therefore, we _wait_."

"You know what?" he threw his hands up. "If you're going to be that way, I'm just gonna leave. Good fortune and all that, but I'm done!"

He turned around and started walking away, to where he didn't know, but he wasn't going to spend another second in those pests' presence.

"I don't think that's very wise!" the boy called after him. "Seriously, man, you're gonna regret it!"

"Then stop me!" Torchwick spun around. "Or would your boss not approve of that either?"

The boy scowled at him and opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly his expression changed to one of fear and he turned to stare at a faraway corner of the warehouse. Beside him, the girl's cheeks turned red, and she bent her head down in a hurry.

"No, I would not approve. But more than that, I wouldn't approve of you putting them in such a delicate situation first."

Torchwick turned his head to look over his shoulder, vaguely recognizing that voice. Once he saw who it belonged to, he immediately made the connection – the woman who had come to him when he'd been taken by Goodwitch. During those six months, he'd often gone back to that memory and thought he could have been tougher, that he could have taken control of their conversation and had her release him right then and there.

Now that she was beside him, he was reminded why that had not happened.

"Roman, do try to be more patient with your colleagues," she said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "And Emerald, Mercury, stop aggravating him. We are not here to play. That will come later."

"We're very sorry, Cinder," the green-haired girl said meekly. "We'll start taking things more seriously."

"I'll hold you to that. Though I'd rather you had let me introduce myself, but alas..." the boss offered her hand. "Cinder Fall."

For a moment, Torchwick hesitated. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he had a feeling she might just rip his hand off his arm when he shook hers. But when she continued to look at him expectantly, he complied, and the handshake was nothing but firm.

"You've met Emerald and Mercury. Consider them my right and left hands. Which is which, well, don't ask them if you want an answer," Cinder Fall turned around. "And our latest addition, Adam Taurus, if you'll come over here."

From the shadows of the warehouse came a man even taller than Torchwick, the upper half of his face covered by a beastly mask. The katana on his waist contributed nothing to his already menacing presence.

"Adam is a leader of the White Fang," Cinder said, looking from Torchwick to Adam. "That is of little consequence, of course. More importantly, Adam has such power, he will certainly give us the upper hand in the battles to come."

"Excuse me? Did you say battles?" Torchwick asked hesitantly. "I was thinking that this would be… simpler."

"Did you really, Roman?" Cinder shrugged. "I am sorry to inform you that, no, things will not be simple at all. Otherwise, why would I recruit you?" she turned around. "But don't worry, you won't be doing much fighting… if you fulfill your part of the job ideally. That is entirely on you."

Torchwick locked eyes with Adam, and they both knew neither was happy with their current position. If Torchwick had to guess, he would say this Adam fellow had been recruited much like he had been – with little leeway for argument, and with little idea as to what he was agreeing to.

"I want to make one last thing clear. This applies to _all_ of you," Cinder said, stopping at the middle of the group. Emerald and Mercury looked at each other worriedly, and Torchwick saw Adam reach for the handle of his katana. "What we are about to accomplish… I could do it all by my lonesome. The only reason I enlisted your help is because, quite frankly, I have a flair for the dramatic. I want to keep our enemies guessing. Should any of you put the plan at risk, or fail to meet my expectations… You're out. Permanently."

She looked at each of them in turn, and one by one, they nodded their acknowledgment. In the end, her lips curved ever so slightly, and she gestured grandiosely with her hands.

"Let's begin, then."


	3. Fire and Frost

" _We're cleared for landing, ladies. Stayed seated, we'll be on the ground in a second_."

Ruby turned to Blake, a smile coming to her lips all on its own. Her excitement grew every time she was reminded she was about to meet her new team, a whole bunch of people just like her, with superpowers and codenames and, she was hoping, costumes too. It crossed her mind a few times that she shouldn't be so happy about it, considering the circumstances that were bringing them together, but she simply couldn't help herself.

Blake, on the other hand, didn't look nearly as excited as her. She had remained silent for most of the flight, only contributing to Ruby's endless conversation with short responses and nods every once in a while. She seemed nervous. Ruby guessed it was because Blake wasn't really used to being around other people, and they were about to meet a lot of strangers personally.

"Hey, Blake," Ruby poked the other girl in the shoulder, drawing her attention again. Maybe she could get Blake to ease up a bit before the meeting. "You… do you have a codename?"

Blake's eyes met hers for a brief moment, before turning away again. "…A codename?"

"I mean, a superhero name!" Ruby said, pointing to herself. "Like mine – I'm Red Bolt! Can't have people knowing who I am, now can I? I don't want bad people showing up at my house, and I've got still got school to graduate from and it would be such a hassle if everyone started treating me differently… That's also the reason for the eye mask – nobody can recognize me when I'm wearing it!"

Blake looked at her again, focusing on the mask this time. The tip of her mouth curved a bit, like she was trying to hide a smile, and Ruby nodded satisfactorily – it was a small gesture, but it seemed like her plan had worked.

"Yes, that is very… smart of you, Ruby," Blake said. "I don't have a codename. Like I said, I'm not really a… superhero."

"But don't you fight the White Fang? The White Fang are bad guys. And if you fight bad guys, you're a superhero," Ruby shrugged. "You've also gotta have superpowers, but that's small stuff nowadays, apparently."

"I don't… It's not that simple in my case, Ruby," Blake sighed. "I'm guessing the bad guys you deal with are mostly petty criminals and, well, giant monsters. Mine are… complicated."

Ruby pursed her lips. How complicated could bad guys be? Sure, the White Fang couldn't be _all_ bad, but they exploded stuff pretty much every weekend.

A soft _thud_ rumbled through the jet, causing Ruby to jump slightly in her seat. " _We're landed_ ," the pilot announced. " _Have a good night, ladies._ "

The back of the jet opened, revealing a hangar full of other aircrafts and agents performing maintenance or takeoff procedures. On the other side of the hangar stood a building that was easily triple the size of the largest mall Ruby had been to. A hundred lights shone from it, piercing the dark sky above.

Ruby got up and hopped off the jet, taking a moment to analyze her surroundings. She had heard of this place, but had never personally been here. It was as breathtaking as she had imagined, though it could use a little more nature here and there. Blake followed her, even quieter than she had been before.

"You're here! Agent Rose, Blake! Welcome to Vale."

Ruby looked ahead and noticed a young woman approaching them, clad in standard Beacon uniform. Ruby could see the edge of something round and metallic behind her back, yet she couldn't quite make out what it was. A little further behind the woman was a male agent, though by his meek posture Ruby found it really hard to call him a man.

"Pyrrha?" Blake spoke, surprising Ruby. "I didn't know you would be here."

"Well, the Director is calling in all the big guns. I suppose that's why you're here too," Pyrrha smiled. "It's good to see you again, Blake. It's been way too long. How have you been?"

"I'm fine," Blake said, looking away nervously. "What about you?"

"Busy as always, specially now, but I'm doing well," Pyrrha turned to Ruby. "And you're the famous Ruby Rose – or Red Bolt, if that's what you prefer. Sorry."

Ruby gagged a bit as she realized who was standing right in front of her. She had expected her team to be awesome, but not _this_ awesome.

"R-Ruby is fine!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking. "A-and what was that about me being famous? You're the famous one! Y-you're Pyrrha Nikos, the best of the best of the best!"

"Well, yes, thank you," Pyrrha said, taken aback. "I didn't mean famous in that way. Commander Goodwitch talks about you a lot, and the Director has mentioned your name a couple times. _You_ have also got a bit of a reputation."

"I have?" Ruby covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh, God. I can't screw this up. I really, really can't."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Pyrrha said. She turned to the other agent, who looked even more uncomfortable than before. "And this is Jaune Arc. He also has a reputation."

Jaune looked at Pyrrha suspiciously, as if trying to figure out if she was being serious or not, then he bowed awkwardly towards Ruby and Blake. "Hi. Nice to, uh, meet you."

"Hi, Jaune!" Ruby said, waving enthusiastically. "Are you part of the team too?"

"He is," Pyrrha replied immediately.

His head whipped around towards Pyrrha. "I am?"

"Oooh, what's _your_ Semblance?" Ruby asked, inching towards him.

"I… don't have one," Jaune gulped. "…I'm good with computers, though! …Most of the time."

Ruby stepped back, trying to not show her disappointment, but the look on Jaune's face told her she had failed. "Well, I'm sure you're still a valuable part of the team. Why else would you have been chosen, right?"

For a moment, Jaune only stared at her blankly, before cracking a little smile and turning around. "How about we head inside? It's kinda cold out here. And I'm sure you wanna rest a little after your flight."

Ruby looked at Blake inquisitively, but only got a shrug as a response. The brunette seemed to be fixated on Pyrrha, for whatever reason, though Ruby could hardly think her strange for it after how she had reacted herself.

As they began walking towards the building, Ruby felt something weighing down her belt. She parted her cape to look and saw Crescent Rose was almost falling from her waist, and she grimly realized she had been right about its condition getting even worse once she folded it.

"Uhm, actually, before resting or anything," she said, making Pyrrha and Jaune stop to look back at her. "I kinda _have_ _to_ fix something. My weapon got damaged pretty badly, and I'll probably need it when things get serious. Do you have an armory or something like that here?"

"We do," Pyrrha said. She looked down at Crescent Rose, then extended her hand. "May I have a look?"

Ruby frowned. She didn't like the idea of handing her most precious belonging just like that, but she _supposed_ if she was going to trust anyone with it, that person was Pyrrha Nikos.

She handed Crescent Rose to Pyrrha and watched anxiously as she weighted it in the palm of her hand, then almost screamed as she unfolded it and made it float gently between them.

"You know what…" Pyrrha said, tilting her head thoughtfully. "I think I might be able to help you with this."

* * *

 Yang plopped down on her bed, exhausted after a full day of work and, more importantly, difficult thoughts. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't quite free of those yet.

Vale was in danger. Her country was in danger, and Beacon, the world's leading force in combating danger, didn't know how exactly. All they knew was that it involved some pretty bad people, creatures of Grimm, and her little sister.

That last factor was the one which made her stop to think. Yang had never had any intention to work with or for Beacon, and to this day, she hadn't changed her mind. She didn't have anything _against_ Beacon, but she was fairly sure that every problem in her life could be traced back to the organization, in some way or another.

Every member of family was somehow involved with Beacon. Her father was a former agent, just like her stepmother… who had been killed in action. Her uncle still worked for them. Ruby had recently been recruited. And her birth mother, who had abandoned her, also had some connection to Beacon, and it wasn't just speculation that the two facts were closely unrelated.

No, Yang did _not_ wish to continue with the family tradition. She was sure that it would be a life full of adventure and wonder and _substantially_ more reliable financial security than waitressing, but she would rather have a boring, humble lifestyle and _not_ abandon her family.

She looked around, taking in her home – a room with a bed, a trunk with her clothes at the corner, and a minifridge she had managed to buy a couple months ago with the pay she had saved up. It was small, yes. Very small. But nice! Like the bathroom. Very small too, but also nice.

And she'd been living there for almost a year, alone. Maybe she had failed the whole _not abandoning her family_ part, after all.

Glynda Goodwitch hadn't left Atlas yet. She'd said she would be staying until tomorrow – probably wanted to try recruiting that Schnee girl again – and that she would come to see Yang again, to see if by any chance she had changed her mind about going with her.

Yang shook her head and took her phone from beside her bed and stared at it. Nowadays, she only had three contacts saved on it – Dad, Uncle Qrow, and Ruby – and she only ever called one of them. Maybe it was time for another call. Ruby was in trouble, or she _had been_ in trouble recently, surely she could use a conversation with someone close to her.

Or… she could make it a surprise. Yang smiled as she imagined the look on Ruby's face when she showed up with no warning at all. A new Super Sisters adventure – that's what Ruby had called them last time, hadn't she?

And Yang realized that, maybe, she had already made her decision.

* * *

 Pyrrha put the scythe down on the table between her and Ruby, tapping gently along its blade. The sensation was strange. The weapon certainly resonated with her, but it was rough and fracture, like it wasn't and had never been whole.

"What did you make this out of again?" she asked, trying to focus her Semblance better. "It certainly _feels_ different…"

"Junk," Ruby said, turning away embarrassedly as Pyrrha stared at her doubtfully. "I didn't really have much choice… It was a personal project. And it's not like I could show up in school or to my dad and ask for quality steel or something."

"I… suppose that makes sense. It _is_ remarkable that it took so long for something to go wrong with it. I would expect something made of junk to fall apart in days," Pyrrha said. "You really are an excellent craftswoman, Ruby. Even if your projects are a little… eccentric."

"Eccentric?" Ruby frowned. "I don't know what you mean by that."

Pyrrha just smiled at her. She didn't quite know how to explain to Ruby that when most people needed a new weapon, they did not think of a mechanized scythe that was also a gun.

"Nothing," Pyrrha said. "Anyway, I don't think patching this up is the way to go. We could reinforce the damaged section, but that would cause even bigger problems later. So I propose we make an entirely new version."

"Whaaat?" Ruby's eyes widened. "But that's crazy! It took me weeks to make Crescent Rose. We don't have the time to make a new one."

"But like you said, you did it all by yourself, with bad resources and, I imagine, a lot of trial and error," Pyrrha noted. "It shouldn't be so hard a second time, especially with my help. I can do the heavy work for you with my Semblance – shaping the metal, connecting the parts, all that…"

Ruby's eyes shone like little stars as she stared at Pyrrha. "You… you would do that?"

"Of course! And, to top it off…"

Pyrrha stepped away from the worktable, going to the cabinets at the back of the armory and rummaging through them. She soon found the box she was looking for, and after shaking it a bit to make sure she was right about its contents, returned to Ruby.

"We'll be using Oumnium," she said. "It's the toughest metal known to mankind, and preciously little of it has been found. Luckily, we've got more than enough to make ten Crescent Roses," Pyrrha took her shield from her back and spun it on one finger. "My shield is made of Oumnium, and it has never had as much as a dent put on it."

"Pyrrha," Ruby clutched her chest. "I think I'm gonna pass out."

"Please don't!" Pyrrha exclaimed, alarmed. She was sure Ruby was joking, but the girl did look scarily pale for a moment there.

Ruby shook her head and took a deep breath. "Alright. I guess we can get started, then. Uhm, so how do we do this, should I disassemble the old-"

She was interrupted when the door of the armory opened with a screech. Jaune entered, carrying some snacks and beverages on his arms. He walked awkwardly to the table, then let all his spoils spill onto it.

"Hi. You said you would be here for a while, so I thought you might like something," he said. "I got you water, Pyrrha. I could get more for you, Ruby, if you don't like sodas…"

"Nope!" Ruby said, snatching a bottle of something unnecessarily sweet. "Water is gross."

"Right?" Jaune cracked a smile. "I keep telling Pyrrha, but she's on a strict diet and stuff," he paused, a second later appearing to catch up to what he'd just said. "I mean, not because of her weight or anything – y-you're fine, Pyrrha – but because she's a healthy person and all that! She's, uh, the exemplar agent of Beacon! No sodas! Sodas are bad! Very bad!"

"Jaune," Ruby muffled a giggle. "I think you've got a foot in your mouth."

"I do?" Jaune sighed. "Sorry, I didn't notice. I guess the taste doesn't stand out when it's in your tongue all the time."

"Thank you, Jaune," Pyrrha said, opting to save him before he found another way to embarrass himself. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness. And your compliment about my weight, too."

"Well, yeah, you are pretty fit," Jaune said matter-of-factly. "Isn't she, Ruby?"

Ruby's mouth formed a perfect little circle as her eyes went from him to Pyrrha then back to him. Like Pyrrha, she seemed to be having some difficulty believing how dense Jaune could be. _Unlike_ Pyrrha, her reaction was one of wonder. Pyrrha had long passed that stage, and nowadays was more frustrated than anything else.

"…Anyway," Pyrrha cleared her throat. "Where's Blake?"

"I showed her to the guest room. She's probably sleeping now," Jaune replied. "That's just a theory, because she didn't really say much to me."

"That's Blake for you. Not really the talkative type," Pyrrha said.

"You two already knew each other?" Ruby asked. "How did _that_ happen?"

That was a tricky question to answer, but Pyrrha made sure her expression didn't show that. If Blake was still wearing that bow to cover her faunus identity after all these years, she probably still wanted to keep it a secret. The last thing Pyrrha wanted to do was betray her trust.

"I was on a mission in Vacuo," Pyrrha said. It needed to be a simple lie, but with something interesting to it that Ruby and Jaune would latch onto so they wouldn't question the rest of the story. "I was following some criminals, and they had links to the White Fang. I stumbled upon Blake and thought she was one of them. We fought… and she beat me."

"Wait, what? She beat you?" Jaune crossed his arms. "What's her Semblance? Is she, like, invulnerable or something?"

"Nothing like that. I was younger then. And I wasn't going all out," Pyrrha smirked. That much wasn't a lie - Blake had technically beaten her, but only because Pyrrha let her. "Anyway, we made peace, settled our differences, and then we teamed up to beat the bad guys. It was fun!"

"Wow, it does sound like it was fun," Ruby pouted. "How come _we_ never teamed up, Pyrrha?"

"I guess the need never came until now," Pyrrha said. "Speaking of, we should probably hurry up. You were right to worry about time, Ruby, we don't know when this Cinder person is going to attack. Let's get to work on making your new scythe."

"That's a scythe?" Jaune said, looking down at Crescent Rose. "Oh wow, I thought it was a pickaxe!"

Ruby huffed heavily, causing Jaune to flinch and take a step back out of fear for his own safety.

"Sorry," Ruby mumbled. "I just thought that would never happen again."

* * *

 Weiss examined the event hall from the stage, doing a quick check of their set up. Against all odds, everything seemed to be prepared perfectly – the sound system, the multiple entrances to the hall to better accommodate people, the divisions in the audience… And behind her, the platform that would soon display the Dust Core.

Everything was perfect. The presentation was going to be daunting, but it was a challenge she welcomed with open arms. She was absolutely confident that she would rock it. Which did not explain why she was so… anxious.

She checked her watch. Two hours until the presentation. Two hours for her father to hijack her spotlight. Two hours for Roman Torchwick might make an unwanted appearance.

Two hours for a disaster she had chosen not to help stop to happen in the most populated country on Remnant.

She had Goodwitch's number. All she needed to do was call her…

Weiss sighed. What was done, was done. She had the rest of her life to face her guilt. For now, she needed to save the world in her own smaller way.

* * *

 Cinder looked over her colleagues, wrists crossed patiently behind her back. They were taking their time to get ready, but she was in no hurry. Not yet, at least. She had waited years to enact her plan, a few more minutes could certainly be spared.

"Your roles are clear, I am sure," she said, walking past Mercury, busy making sure his prostethic leg was locked properly. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

A sharp noise from behind her drew her attention. Adam Taurus was spinning his sword with one hand, the blade cutting through the air wickedly.

"No need, Fall," he said. He stopped spinning the sword and sheathed it. "I thought you had grander things in mind. My part seems…"

"Precise. Was that the word you were looking for?" Cinder fixed him with a glare. "It seems I do need to repeat myself, Adam. You _will_ keep the bloodshed to a minimum. You have _one_ target – and if she becomes too much a hassle, you will _back off_ ," she looked at Mercury. "The same applies to you."

"Seems like overkill to throw us both at the girl," Mercury shrugged. "But you're the boss."

"I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you. She's more than a pretty face and a name," Cinder said. "Emerald, I know _you_ , at least, were listening. Fill me in on your part."

Emerald looked at her feet for a moment, before slowly raising her head to meet eyes with Cinder. "I won't be there."

"Exactly," Cinder smirked. "And you, dear Roman…"

The crime lord parted from his spot on the wall to join them again, flourishing his cane carelessly at his side. Cinder looked at the cane critically. She had gone through a lot of trouble to get that ridiculous accessory back to Roman. She hoped he was made good use of it.

"You know, I'll give this to you… As absurd as your plan is, it sounds like a lot of fun. And hey, I might even get a little dose of sweet revenge for myself. I'm certainly not going to complain about that!" he tipped his hat to her. "I am one hundred percent with you. No problems from my end."

Cinder stared at him, pondering whether another lesson about his place would be productive. At this point, she would rather let him disgrace himself and deal with the consequences. She had, after all, made herself very clear already.

"If everyone is ready, then… Go ahead," she gestured towards the entrance of the warehouse. "Make me proud."

Her four underlings looked at each other, and Mercury walked forward. He stopped at the entrance and slid the door to the side, letting the cold Atlas air seep into the warehouse.

* * *

 Radio silence. Glynda didn't quite know how to feel about it. It probably meant that there was nothing worth reporting, and therefore no need to contact her. But she'd been working the job long enough to know things were rarely that simple. Sometimes silence was not voluntary. Sometimes things went south quick, and you only learned about it when it was already too late.

Regardless, she hadn't come this far by worrying herself sick over every little thing that didn't go as she wanted. She kept her earpiece tuned to Beacon's frequency, but decided to ignore for the rest of the afternoon. If something happened in Vale, she would know one way or another, and she trusted the Director to deal with the situation without her. He was, sometimes, self-reliant like that.

Her current job was something only she could see to now, so she gave her full attention to it. The last time the SDC had shown the Dust Core technology, it hadn't gone well at all. Now they were doing it again on an even larger scale, when the current climate was not at all fit for something so world-changing as that.

Sometimes she wished she could dismantle that company completely. There absolutely were enough charges to be brought against it, and even the richest of the richest couldn't stand for long when faced with such damning evidence _and_ the authority of Beacon. But another solution to that problem had surfaced recently, and Glynda had chosen to go with that instead… even if said solution didn't like her very much.

Glynda looked towards the stage, peering over the hundreds of heads between her and it. The event hall was already crowded, and by the looks of it there were still more people arriving. At this point, the staff would have to close up and the people left outside would have to resort to watching the presentation through television. That wouldn't be a problem, as there was plenty media presence in the audience.

That would not bode well, Glynda knew.

As she had predicted, the hall's full capacity was soon reached, and the doors closed. The lights on the ceiling went off, leaving only the stage itself lit and a handful of emergency lights near the entrances. The crowd went quiet, and a moment later, Weiss Schnee walked onstage.

"Good afternoon, everybody," her voice rang through the hall. "Oh, my. It looks like _a lot_ of people showed up. To be honest, I was expecting people to pass on the event. Last time I ran something like this, many things exploded and I got an impromptu makeover," she pointed at her scar. The crowd was silent, save for a handful of awkward claps and laughs. " _Right_ , that was probably not the joke to make when we have a thousand people stuffed inside the same room. At least now I know _not_ to be a comedian."

This time, there was a considerably warmer response. It wasn't exactly _great_ , but it was better. Glynda shook her head, wishing Weiss would get on with it and stop tempting fate like that.

"Anyway, I'm certain none of you came to appreciate my terrible sense of humor. You are here because you were promised the revelation of the century, something that will change the world so dramatically, you'll wonder how we ever got by without it," Weiss took a step to the side. "Ladies and gentlemen, here it is. Before your eyes – the Schnee Dust Energy Core."

The floor behind her parted, and a platform rose from beneath, carrying the aforementioned Core. Gasps of wonder rose from the audience as it slowly came into view. Once it was fully out, Glynda could see it was fairly different from the first version she had seen unveiled six months ago. For one, the globe-like shape that contained the Dust was much smaller, and it seemed to be connected to the panel under it by unlockable latches instead of being irreversibly attached to it. Its glow, however, was just as breathtaking as before.

"This…" Weiss tapped the globe, "…is live Dust. That's right. It's not like the crystalline manifestation of Dust we use as fuel in pretty much all facets of our society. This is something new, and something old, at the same time. Live Dust is everywhere. It's in the air, in the ground, in our skin… we just have never been able to harness it. Until now."

Glynda looked away, only paying half attention as Weiss went on to give examples of the Dust Core many uses, including how it could power entire cities and eliminate the need for more pollutive fuels. She had heard enough of that prior to today – Weiss had been intent on reminding her of the importance of this new technology every time they talked about it. She needed Beacon's support, after all, and for that she needed to stay in her good graces. Glynda supposed Weiss thought that wasn't necessary anymore, seeing as their negotiations were all finished and the Core was cleared for unveiling. Otherwise, Weiss' behavior the previous day would surely have been much different.

Glynda didn't much care if that was the case. She would like to have a good relationship with the heiress, but it made no difference to her in the long run. As long as Weiss did good in her company's name, she could be as petulant as she wanted.

Now, if the world suffered because of her pride, that was another matter altogether…

"I think I've stressed enough how huge this is, yes?" Weiss said. "And yes, before all of you with your hands raised get to your question, I will get ahead of it and address what I'm sure is on your mind. War. Weapons. The general harm a power source like this could bring to the world."

Glynda stopped scanning through the crowd to focus back on the heiress. _That_ part, she was interested in.

"If someone else were standing in my place, they would avoid your question. Or worse, they would lie straight to your faces. They would tell you that no such terrible things will happen," Weiss smiled humorlessly. "That's why I'm giving this presentation. I can't guarantee only good will come from this, and I can't make believe _I_ am not lying to you. You have no reason to trust me."

"But you have reason to trust Beacon," she continued. "Which is why I've worked hard with their highest officials to make sure that the Core is safe for production and distribution, and that its use will be regulated _very_ strictly, not by the SDC, but by them. Not only that, but for the following five years, we will focus on getting Core technology to where it is needed most, and if by the end of those five years we are not satisfied, we will keep working on it until we are. That's my promise to you, and if I don't-"

A door opened, and bright light from the rest of the building flooded the room. Weiss stopped talking, and a confused cacophony of whispers and gasps overtook the following silence. Glynda reached for the pistol on her waist…

A surge of red energy shot into the room, taking the rough form of a slash, flying straight at the stage. For a moment, Weiss stood frozen, but then her hands swung upward, and a white glyph the size of her body appeared before her, blocking the projectile. The energy dissipated around her. She lowered her hands, and the sound of her heavy breathing echoed through the hall.

"Everyone, remain calm. The emergency exits will be opened shortly," Weiss said. "And no, this is not part of the presentation."

As screams rose from the crowd, Glynda turned to look at the opened door and saw someone walk in – Adam Taurus, his katana giving off a faint red glow as he rested it on his shoulder. Beside him, the mysterious Black, so alike the deceased Marcus…

Weiss' microphone cut off. Glynda prepared her pistol.

* * *

 "Here it is. Eggs and a burger, double cheese," Yang put down the plate on the client's table. "Have a nice meal."

The man didn't even look at her before diving in on his food. Yang waited a second, expecting a tip – it didn't need to be generous, just a little would make her grateful – but none came. Sighing, she turned around to return to the counter and see if there were any more orders ready to be taken.

Midway there, she looked up at the television installed on the middle of the diner and stopped in her tracks. There was a reporter on screen, standing on a street with a distressed look on her face. Behind her, people were running and screaming, and multicolored lights streaked out of a familiar building.

How did she know that building? Yang knew she had seen it before, but where?

"Oh, no," someone in the diner spoke, rising from their seat and joining her. "Is that the SDC? I heard they were having something there today."

"The SDC?" someone else piped in, sounding alarmed. "My father works there! What's happening?!"

The screen changed to a still image of a masked man with a sword, and a few seconds later, changed again to another image – Weiss Schnee, bathed in white light as crossed her arms in an x-shape in front of her.

Without thinking, Yang turned and stormed out of the diner, ignoring her boss' calling for her. Bumblebee was right where she left it every day, locked by a thick chain to a post in front of the diner. Yang got on it, put the keys in, and stomped on the chain, shattering it with brute strength.

"Time to make you proud, sis."

* * *

 Weiss covered her mouth with her arm and shut her eyes, protecting herself from the rising vapor. Something electrical beneath the stage had broken or malfunctioned, and for all she knew, that vapor might only be the beginning of the damage. As if she wasn't having enough trouble defending herself against a crazed lunatic with a sword.

Typical. This was why she shouldn't make jokes about terrorism.

She raised her other hand and summoned a glyph, willing it to expand and spin as fast as it could. She felt the vapor brush past her and began walking forward, carefully feeling the floor ahead of her before taking each step. Soon, she felt nothing and opened her eyes – she'd reached the edge of the stage. Weiss dropped down and looked ahead, reassessing her surroundings.

The emergency exits on the walls on the left and right walls of the hall had been opened, but much of the audience had yet to escape. The middle of the floor was clear, at least, and that was from where her attackers approached. There was a silver-haired young man who had yet to do anything of significance, as far as she knew, but the harsh expression on his face told her he meant business. Nevertheless, his companion worried Weiss a lot more, for several reasons.

First, unless his sword possessed some sort of Dust functionality, which she doubted, he had a Semblance. She didn't know how it worked, but it certainly appeared to be powerful – she didn't dare think what might have happened to her had she not blocked his opening attack.

Second, if he had a Semblance, he obligatorily had an Aura. Even if she managed to get a good hit on him, there was no guarantee that would do any real damage to him. Defeating him was going to be no simple task.

And third, now that she had a good view of him, she recognized him. Not immediately, and not without doubt, but she did. That sword, that tall, menacing posture, and that damned grin on his lips. She'd seen him in a photo long ago.

Adam Taurus, a White Fang terrorist. He'd targeted the Vacuo Schnee Railway years ago… and shortly after, Winter had come back home and the tension between her and their father had reached its breaking point. Since then, Weiss' family had never been the same.

Adam Taurus wasn't solely to blame. But he did have a part in that.

"You!" Weiss called out, flicking her wrist to summon a rapier on her left hand. She'd never have thought to do this in public before, but her secret was out now, and she had much bigger problems to deal with at the moment. "I don't know what you want, but whatever it is, you're not getting it. Attacking me was the worst decision you could have made!"

"What if I told you…" the silver-haired man cracked his knuckles. "…it was _you_ we wanted?"

Weiss didn't let herself falter. "I would say I'm sorry for you," she conjured a glyph in front of her. "Your chances are even worse than I thought!"

She tapped the glyph, and rays of Dust shot out of it, arcing through the air towards the two. The stranger sprinted away from their range and dodged as they collided with the floor with surprising agility, while Taurus stood his ground, his grin widening into a full smile. Three Dust rays struck him at once, but instead of freezing him, they simply disappeared _into_ his body.

"Thank you, princess," he snorted, raising his sword. "Let me repay the favor."

He pointed the blade at her, then made a wide swing. The same red energy from before erupted from it, but now it was laced with white and blue. Weiss barely had the time to raise a shield, and when the attack impacted, it left the surface of the glyph with large icy residues. Weiss let go, and the ice shattered near her feet.

She looked at Adam and he gestured with his fingers, daring her to try again. Weiss took a step back, trying to think of a plan. His Semblance seemed to allow him to absorb Dust, or perhaps energy of any kind. Attacking from afar was impossible, but she didn't want to get anywhere near him while he had that sword in him. If she could somehow take it from him…

"Enough waiting," the other man said, suddenly running towards her. Weiss swung her rapier, launching a hail of Dust rays from its blade, but he jumped and spun like an acrobat, avoiding all of them by mere inches. He landed in front of her on one leg and spun in place, slamming his other foot against her jaw.

Weiss plunged to the floor, a metallic taste filling her mouth. He was strong – she had felt the attack like her Aura was nothing! She started to get up, only to feel another kick land on the small of her back, and she collapsed again, facing the ceiling.

She glared up at him and thrust out a hand, sending out a glyph to collide at high speed against his face. The space between them was too small for him to dodge in time, and the impact send him sprawling back, and his head snapped backwards. For a desperate moment, Weiss thought she had put too much force behind the attack – but then he regained his balance and looked down at her, visibly frustrated, but otherwise unharmed.

"I can't _believe_ you did that to me!" he growled, rubbing his neck. "If I was a regular guy, I'd be lucky if I'd died straight away!"

Weiss slowly rose from her knees, keeping her rapier between the two of them. "A regular guy? Do you mean you have a Semblance too?" That would explain how he was so strong…

"No. Some of us have to work hard to get where you are," he grinned. "But I'm not complaining. You take your power for granted. I, on the other hand…"

He began to raise his foot, and Weiss prepared to block, but a red flash filled the hall, and a Dust round landed on the back of her foe's head. He stumbled forward, and Weiss took the opportunity to knee him in the stomach, then sent him rolling away with the shove of a glyph.

"Miss Schnee," Glynda Goodwitch stood a safe distance from her and Adam, her pistol charged and at eye-level. "You won't mind if I step in?"

"Be my guest," Weiss' eyes narrowed as she looked at Adam. "Keep the other occupied. This one is mine."

"Music to my ears," Adam met her stare unrelentingly. "Let's dance, _Schnee_."

* * *

 "D-Director Ozpin? Where are we going?" Ruby asked, hopelessly confused as she followed her boss through the many hallways of the headquarters. "Excuse me, sir? Sir?"

The Director refused to answer, seemingly busy listening to someone else on his earpiece. Ruby looked back at her team, following right behind, but none of them seemed to have an idea about what was happening. Even Pyrrha was looking a little nervous.

"I am _seriously_ not liking this," Ruby heard Blake whisper. "Pyrrha?"

"Yeah," the top agent frowned. "Just trust the Director. I am sure he'll explain himself."

"Maybe it's finally team time? Even if we don't have the full team?" Ruby suggested hopefully. "Please tell me it is!"

"Just checking, am I actually part of this team?" Jaune asked. "Not that I'm afraid or anything, just, you know, gotta be sure! Haha…"

"You are part of the team!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly. "Come on, we're doing this! It's going to be awesome! Right, Blake?"

Blake's only response was a little tilt of her head. Ruby shrugged – if nobody else was going to be excited, she would have to be excited for all four of them.

They exited the building, coming into a different hangar than the one Ruby and Blake had landed on. There were a lot less jets stationed in it, and the number of cabins and small buildings scattered throughout it looked like it would make taking off very difficult.

The Director walked forward a little more, then stopped and turned to face them.

"I'm sorry for ignoring you. Things are a little… hectic right now," he said. "I believe, agent Rose, that what you and miss Belladonna heard from Cinder Fall was meant to misdirect us. She led us to believe Vale was her target, but as we speak, she and her colleagues are wreaking havoc in Atlas."

"Oh no!" Ruby exclaimed. "That's awful! We're never gonna get there in time!"

"Worry not, Glynda is doing her best to contain the situation, and she has help. For now, everything is under control," Ozpin nodded. "Regardless, we will be heading there in case things get out of hand. We won't get there fast, but as they say – better late than never!"

He clapped his hands twice and buckled his knees a little. Ruby, as well as the rest of the team, stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Excuse me," Ozpin gestured at them. "If you could take a couple steps forward."

Ruby did so hesitantly, followed shortly by Pyrrha and Blake. When Jaune joined them, a loud rumble occurred beneath them, like the earth was under the headquarters.

And suddenly, the hangar detached itself from the rest of the base and started floating towards the sky. Blake let out an uncharacteristic yelp and jumped three meters high, while Jaune turned green and slowly sat down on the floor.

"Oh, everything makes sense now," Pyrrha said calmly. "We're taking the Beaconship, I see."

"T-the B-Beaconship?" Jaune repeated.

"Our flying base, she means," Ozpin said. "I had it built on my second year as Director."

"Wait a minute," Ruby turned to look at Pyrrha. "We have a flying base, and you forgot all about it until now?"

Pyrrha pursed her lips, then nodded. Ruby could only bow her head. She was awestruck.

How the hell was this real life?

* * *

 Weiss swung her rapier upwards, parrying a slash from Adam, and slid backwards on a glyph. She watched him from afar, breathing laboriously – it had been years since she had had any sword practice, and he was formidable opponent. She hadn't let him get a hit on her yet, but she hadn't landed one on him either. But she had a feeling one successful swing by him would put an end to their fight.

She wasn't eager to put that theory to the test.

"Let me propose something," Weiss said, lowering her rapier. "Drop your weapon. Get on your knees, put on your hands on your head, and let the Commander do with you what she thinks you deserve," she summoned a glyph on her other hand, focusing the Dust inside her into it. "Or else, you'll suffer what _I_ think you deserve."

"How scary," Adam sneered. "You know, you are not the ultimate goal here, but you are a nice treat. I always wondered how a pretentious Schnee bitch like you would sound like screaming in pain. I'll take the second option."

Weiss thrust the glyph out, shooting a single Dust beam at Adam. He took full on, absorbing the energy through his chest. Once it was over, he clenched both his fists, and red sparks of pure energy arced around his body and sword.

Weiss took a moment to center herself, then sent herself rocketing forward with a glyph. It was a slim chance – a dumb strategy – but if Adam believed he had the upper hand because of his Semblance, maybe she could find an opening and take him out, or at least do some major damage. She remembered doing something against Torchwick during their battle, and how that she had earned her scar that way, but it was the only chance she had.

This was a losing battle. She needed to go big, or else inevitably she would fall.

Like she'd predicted, Adam raised his sword in preparation as she neared him. The blade was shining blood red, all the energy he'd gathered now channeled into it. Weiss held in her breath, and as she was about to hit him, swung her rapier.

Their blades met, and red enveloped her all around.

* * *

 Yang swerved, nearly hitting a car as she turned a corner. Drivers screamed at her, but she didn't care – the SDC building was just a couple streets ahead and she wasn't about to slow down. The police had set up a road block around the block, but she blazed past that too, only hopping off Bumblebee when she reached the building in question.

She ran inside and found herself in a deserted lobby, but her true destination was obvious – the door with the red and white lights coming out of.

That should have been the moment for her to stop for a bit, catch her breath, think, and perhaps formulate a plan. Yang didn't do any of that, running straight into the conference hall just as a particular harsh flash of red occurred.

When her vision cleared and she could see again, the scene in front of her was more than a little confusing.

Glynda Goodwitch was busy wrestling a silver-haired man into a pair of metal handcuffs.

At the very back of the hall, on top of the stage, was Roman Torchwick, his face beet red as he tried to hoist a giant shining globe out of a stand under it. He was having no success.

And lastly, the masked man from the TV, dragging a sword along the floor as he slowly limped towards an unconscious Weiss Schnee.

Well, that was an easy decision.

"Oi, edgelord!" Yang yelled. "Watch your six!" She ran towards him and jumped, and just as he turned to look, punched him straight across the face.

He went rolling away on the ground, losing his grasp on his sword along the way. Yang rushed to it and kicked it away, then turned to face her foe as he got up again. Red sparks were leaping off his skin, and his lips were twisted into a hateful snarl.

"Hey, those are some pretty lights you got there," Yang said. "You must make for an awesome Christmas tree. Just gotta wear all green and you're settled!"

"Who the _hell_ are you?" he shouted.

"Wait, you don't know me?" Yang put her hands on her hips. "I'm the savior of all mankind, Yang Xiao Long. My specialization is kicking the butts of bad guys like you _and_ making awful jokes while doing it!" she smiled brilliantly. "And no, I am not going to stop until one of us passes out. Princess Schnee not included."

He ran towards her, arm held out in an absurdly telegraphed punch. Yang stifled a laugh. It was obvious this guy was not used to fighting without his weapon. That, or he was just _so_ confident his little red sparks were going to give him the upper hand. Unfortunately for him, Yang had won a handful of championships in her kickboxing career. And she could take a punch.

His fist connected with her cheek, and Yang slid backward under its force. She grimaced a little, realizing that maybe she had underestimated his strength. But as long as she was still standing, it hardly mattered. If anything, it was better for her that he was strong.

"Hey, dude," she looked up at him, eyes turning red. "Thanks."

She punched him in the chest, putting her whole weight behind the attack. He went sliding backwards, mouth agape in shock, but did not fall. Yang frowned, beginning to get a little worried. She hadn't expected the guy to be conscious after that hit, much less standing and apparently still in shape to fight back. She had killed Grimm with less strength.

"Yang Xiao Long," he muttered. "You're dead."

He marched towards her, arms shining red. Yang stood her ground, waiting for him to get to her. She could take another hit, and with the damage she suffered, deliver an even stronger counter that would surely knock him out this time.

He stopped before her and raised his arms above his head. Yang clenched her fists, her mind suddenly going into overdrive. Maybe that was a bad plan. Maybe she should strike first and try her luck. Maybe, maybe, maybe-

He brought his arms down towards her head, and Yang started to raise her hands to block – but a glyph suddenly appeared between them, and when he struck it, a massive energy explosion erupted from the impact and engulfed him.

A moment later, he fell to the floor, out cold.

"Are. You. Braindead?"

Yang turned around and saw Weiss Schnee, now on her knees, glaring at her like she was a child trying to fit a cube through a triangular hole.

"Uh, I had that under control," Yang said. "But thanks anyway."

"You did _not_ have that under control! Every hit he takes, he throws right back at you!" Weiss screeched.

"But so do I," Yang blinked. "Except mine's more like a long-term strength boost. This guy's more like a battery – you know, charges, discharges…"

"Who. Cares!" Weiss threw her arms up. "What was your plan, keep exchanging hits until one of you gets charged up enough to knock out the other?"

"…Yeah, pretty much," Yang said. "Okay, that _was_ pretty dumb. But it was also fun!" she raised a finger. "And for the record, if I hadn't shown up, you would be a Schneesh-kabab on that guy's sword right now."

Weiss just stared at her, as if considering whether that was worthy of a response.

They were awakened from their staring contest when Glynda Goodwitch appeared beside them, dropping the other villain on the floor, wrists bound behind his back.

"Thank you very much for your help, Miss Xiao Long. I was certain you would change your mind," she said. "And good job on keeping control of the situation, Miss Schnee. That was greatly appreciated."

"Your appreciation does nothing to comfort me about the fact that is the _second time_ something like this happens to me," Weiss stated irritably. "It's not been a year, Glynda!"

"I'm terribly sorry," Yang could swear she saw the hint of a smile on the Commander's lips. "Now, if you'll help me get Taurus bound too…"

"And Torchwick as well?" Yang asked.

Weiss and Goodwitch stopped to look at her, then turned their gazes towards the stage. Torchwick was sitting on the edge of it, holding his head on one hand, looking very displeased with himself.

"When the hell did you get here?!" Weiss shouted, standing up like her energy had suddenly been replenish by the sheer anger she was feeling at that moment. "And what the _hell_ are you doing, just sitting there like that?"

"I was _going_ to steal your precious Dust Core, but it was too heavy," he said dejectedly. "So here I am. Waiting to be arrested by my favorite Beacon official for the third time. Hello, Glynda dear."

Goodwitch looked too exasperated to give an answer to that. She looked at Torchwick, then at Yang, before taking another pair of handcuffs and handing them to her.

"Please get these on him," she sighed. "I think, after so many years, I truly, honestly, have reached my limit."


	4. Fateful Encounters

Turbulence shook the plane as Glynda finished her speech. She looked down at Weiss, whom she'd told to sit down beforehand, for her own good. The heiress remained silent for a long time.

"So, let me recap," Weiss finally spoke. "There's another dimension connected to our world, from whence evil monsters come from regularly. The sole motive in said evil monsters' existence is to kill everyone on Remnant. And Beacon's top priority is to defend the world against them," she paused. "…Did I miss anything?"

Glynda frowned, not knowing what to make of Weiss at the moment. She'd expected a stronger reaction, an angry tirade or perhaps a smug statement about how she'd always known Beacon was more than it seemed. But the heiress' expression was mostly impassive – Glynda had seen her eyes waver a bit when she got to the part about the Grimm's mission, but that was the most striking thing she'd noticed.

"That's the gist of it," Glynda said. "I must stress to you again, Miss Schnee, this is very confidential information. You mustn't share it with anyone."

"Of course. What, do you think I am dying to tell the whole world that we're all in mortal danger?" Weiss smiled dryly. "I've just been caught using superpowers by every major news channel in the globe. No, I am not eager to reveal any more secrets."

"I am sorry you were forced into that situation, Miss Schnee. I had suspicions that something might happen in Atlas, but… I should have taken more precautions," Glynda said. "I am glad you decided to join us, though."

"Someone targeted my company. Targeted me. _Your_ enemy – which I suppose we share now," Weiss stood up. "Please, do not act as if I had a choice."

Glynda suppressed a tired smile. Weiss Schnee was a real piece of work, perhaps the most puzzling person she had dealt with in a long time, and with the company she kept, that was not an easy feat.

"I do have a question," Weiss said, facing her directly. "How have you kept these Grimm a secret for so long?"

"That question, I'm afraid, requires a very complicated answer," Glynda replied carefully. "You'll have to forgive me, but I can only tell you we have our ways."

"I see," Weiss grinned knowingly. "Beacon has secrets hidden behind their secrets. I wonder what I'll find out next," she turned away and walked towards a window. "If you'll excuse me, I have some processing to do on my own."

"Of course. Take your time," Glynda said. "Though I must say, Miss Schnee, for such a proud person, you have an awful habit of dismissing your best decisions. You could have walked away. Instead, you are here. There is no shame in taking on a noble cause."

Weiss rolled her shoulders and fixed her eyes on the clouds they were speeding past, giving a very clear message that she was done talking. Glynda shook her head – puzzling, indeed.

Turning her back to Weiss, the commander walked down the aisle towards the door to the hangar at the back of the plane, passing a napping Yang on the way there. While the Xiao Long girl had been plenty helpful and energetic as they took care of the situation back at Atlas, Glynda had caught her throwing some rather intense looks her way more than a few times. Glynda could feel there was something Yang wanted to say to her, but for some reason, she was holding back.

She had a good guess what was on the girl's mind, and if she was being honest with herself, Glynda was glad that conversation had yet to happen.

She reached the door and looked through its glass panel. On the hangar were her three prisoners, Roman Torchwick, Adam Taurus, and the assassin she now knew as Mercury Black – apparently, Marcus had had a secret son. They were safely confined and being watched constantly by ten of the best agents she'd found at the Atlas HQ.

At the very back of the hangar was the Dust Core that had been on presentation before, the one Torchwick had tried to steal – by his own admission. They had found an unregistered jet landed near the SDC, certainly big enough to carry the invention, but Glynda had her suspicions. The attack on Weiss, Torchwick's sudden appearance at the scene, and the absence of the mastermind, Cinder Fall – it was all too strange.

What was she missing? Why did she have the terrible feeling that they were doing exactly as Cinder Fall expected – exactly as she _wanted_?

Something was off, and Glynda was not going to let her guard down until she got to the bottom of it.

* * *

 "Alright, stand back just a little more. I don't wanna hit you by accident – and if by any chance it blows up…" Ruby shrugged. "You get it."

Blake nodded, taking a few steps back to put some distance between the two of them. Ruby looked around the open hangar of the Beaconship to make sure the immediate area was clear, then with the tip of her tongue poking out of the corner of her lips, took her weapon and held it in both hands in front of her. She pressed the little button on the side of it, and the thin cube of metal unfolded with a series of clicks and screeches. In a matter of seconds, it had morphed into a scythe as tall as Ruby herself, with an even sharper-looking blade than before and a compartment for Dust cartridges near the bottom end of it.

"Behold! Crescent Rose Mark II!" Ruby bellowed, deepening her voice. "Lighter than ever before! Reborn from the toughest metal on Remnant! None can escape its deadly reach! Hyah!"

She swung the scythe over her head, almost tumbling as the blade impacted the ground before her. Ruby blinked a couple times, then righted herself and raised the new Crescent Rose to inspect it more closely.

"Wow, I was just having fun there, but it is _actually_ a lot lighter," she mumbled, and Blake had a feeling she was talking more to herself than to her. "Neat."

Ruby tried another swing, more carefully this time, and made a small noise of satisfaction at the end of it. She swung again, then moved into another attack, and soon she was lost in a lone dance, her cape flowing around her as she spun and thrust and hopped about, slashing at a horde of imaginary foes.

Blake watched silently, almost unsettled. She'd been trying to figure out Ruby for the last two days, sure that there was something essential she was missing about the girl, but the more time she spent with her, the less certain she became about that. Ruby, it seemed, was as complicated as she appeared. She was almost _too_ good, and that might be why Blake felt so uncomfortable around her. As if she didn't have enough reasons already to think she didn't belong…

"You know, Blake, if we're gonna be fighting Grimm, you're gonna need a new weapon too," Ruby said, taking a break from her dance. "Your pistol's fine and all, but Grimm are tough. You need to break or pierce their armored skin, so you either need something really sharp, or a new gun that can fit Dust. But ammo runs out, so you probably would need something more personal either way."

"If you say so. I am not the expert here," Blake said. She looked at Crescent Rose, slowly raising an eyebrow. "But I don't think I need or want something like that…"

"Why would you _not_ want something as cool as Crescent Rose?" Ruby twisted her nose at her. "But if that's how you feel… I'll fix up something simple for you," she paused. "…If you'll just lend me your ribbon-thingy."

"Okay," Blake said doubtfully, unwrapping her ribbon from around her wrist and handing it to Ruby. "But… what do you need it for?"

"Research," Ruby replied, staring at her blankly. "That's all."

Blake crossed her arms, more than a little suspicious, but decided to let Ruby do as she wanted. What was the worst that could happen?

Her ears twitched as she picked up a new sound amidst the rushing air that came from the stable hovering of the Beaconship. Blake looked first at Ruby, fearing she had noticed her slip-up, but luckily enough, Ruby's attention had returned to her scythe. Holding back a sigh of relief, Blake looked to the skies, trying to locate the source of the noise.

It didn't take her long to see an aircraft coming the way of the Beaconship. It was bigger than the jets stationed at the flying base, resembling more a cargo plane. In a minute it reached them and landed on the hangar, running a little more before coming to a halt.

"Hey, that's probably Miss Goodwitch with our other teammates!" Ruby said. "Man, I hope she's fine. Whatever went down in Atlas, it sounded like it was pretty bad."

"You would have heard if something happened to her," Blake said. "Do you have any idea who's coming with her?"

"Nope," Ruby shook her head. "They're probably super cool, though! Let's go meet them."

As they walked to it, the back of the plane opened and a ramp went down to the hangar. A few moments later, Glynda Goodwitch came out, signaling over her shoulder, and a trio of agents followed after her, carrying between them something huge and, if the strain on their faces was anything to go by, very heavy. Whatever it was, it was hidden under a black tarp. Blake didn't like that at all, but she held off her judgment – maybe the Commander would tell them about it later, and was just keeping it a secret for now.

After the object came three pairs of agents, each escorting a bound prisoner. The first, Blake didn't recognize, but the smug expression on his face was enough to make her dislike him immediately. Then came Roman Torchwick, which she remembered from TV reports of his criminal exploits. He didn't seem menacing at all now. Rather, he looked supremely annoyed.

"Oh my Gosh! It's you!" Ruby squealed. "Remember me, Torchwick?!"

He turned his head to look at her, then released a loud groan. "Red! Oh, I _definitely_ remember you! You were the start of all my problems! Seriously, do you know how much grief Beacon has given me since then?"

"Less than you deserve, I'm sure," Ruby stuck her tongue out at him. "You don't have any right to complain! Maybe if you had made better life decisions, you wouldn't be this in predicament right now."

"The only bad decision I've made is not making sure I had killed you proper back then!" he shouted. "Granted, I had no way to know you could tank a goddamn explosion to the chest, but still!"

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" Ruby smiled cheekily. "I don't speak sore loser."

Torchwick's face turned red, but he was taken away before he could say anything in return. Ruby humphed satisfactorily, and Blake nodded at her, surprised she could be so-

"Blake."

She froze, suddenly unable to breathe as Adam was carried past her. His eyes were hidden behind his mask, but she was as certain they were on her as that he would kill her right there and then, if he had the chance. Suddenly, four years felt like nothing. She was staring death in the face, and it was staring right back.

The moment didn't last long, as Adam was quickly taken to the ship's main building. Blake remained still, until she felt a light touch on her arm.

"You okay, Blake?" Ruby asked. "You look like you've just seen a ghost," she sighed. "Bad choice of words. Sorry."

"It's okay," Blake said, trying to sound normal again. "I was just… caught off guard. Seeing Adam alive when he was right next to a giant monster and a pyromaniac was one thing…"

"And being right in front of him, with him addressing you directly, was another matter altogether," Glynda Goodwitch interrupted, stopping beside them. "Miss Belladonna, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

Blake shook her hand mechanically. They _had_ met long before, when she was just ten-years-old. Glynda had been assigned to watch over a White Fang protest. The Commander was keeping that a secret, covering up who Blake really was.

Blake didn't know how to feel about that.

"Miss Goodwitch!" Ruby shouted, locking the older agent in a bear hug. "I've missed you so much!"

"It's not been a week," Glynda said, sounding exasperated and amused at the same time. "And how many times do I have to say, _to you_ , I am _Commander Goodwitch_."

"Sorry, Miss – I mean, Commander Goodwitch," Ruby backed off, jumping a little on the spot. "Uhm, I have a question…?"

Glynda looked up at the sky. "Yes?"

"So, uh, I've kinda missed, like, three consecutive days of school because of all this stuff," Ruby said. "My attendance rate is still good, but if it goes any lower, I don't know… What if there's another crisis like this one? I'm gonna have to miss even more days then, and I don't wanna redo a whole school year!"

"Agent Rose, let me remind you once again of when you begged me to let you join Beacon, and how I told you you'd have to manage school and work and every little thing that is so important to girls your age, and how you'd have no time to care for _all_ of that," Glynda said. "You made your own bed, agent."

"Okay, I get it, but…" Ruby looked at the Commander with puppy eyes. "Can't you at least call the headmaster or something? _Pretty please_? I'll work twice as hard, and I'll never cut off comms again!"

"That's a shameless lie, Ruby Rose. You and I both know it."

"Hey!" Ruby pouted. "It's _agent Rose_ to you, Commander."

Glynda huffed loudly, then muttered something about doing Ruby a favor, _once_. Ruby squealed and hugged her again, much to the Commander's chagrin. Witnessing such a wholesome scene wasn't enough to make Blake forget about Adam, but it did make her feel better – though she was sure that feeling wouldn't last.

"Now, where are agents Nikos and Arc?" Glynda asked. "I was under the impression you all had come on the Beaconship. Unless the Director left them behind to watch over Vale?"

"No, they're inside right now. Jaune was feeling a little airsick. Pyrrha's keeping him company in the infirmary," Ruby said. "Commander! Did you bring the rest of the team? Please me tell yes! Please!"

"Please do," Blake muttered. "She hasn't stopped talking about it since we met."

Glynda opened her mouth, but a sharp voice overtook her own.

"You have a flying base? _Why_ do you have a flying base?!"

A white-haired girl wearing a business dress was coming down the ramp of the plane, walking towards them as if everything around her offended the very essence of her being. Blake paused at the sight, recognizing the girl from somewhere, but she couldn't quite make a connection…

"This, agent Rose, is one of your prized teammates," Glynda said with a hint of apprehension. "Weiss Schnee. Ruby, please, control yourse-"

" _WEISS SCHNEE?!_ "

Blake jumped away from Ruby in fright, and when she looked again, Ruby was jumping at the new arrival. Weiss screamed and raised her arms before herself, the only thing she could do in time to keep both of them from tumbling to the floor.

"What the hell!" Weiss looked down at Ruby, swatting at her face, but the redhead was unmovable. "Unhand me right this instant!"

A white glyph appeared between them, prying Ruby off Weiss before pushing her far away. Ruby landed back on the floor, looking bewildered for a second or two, before returning to staring obsessively at Weiss.

"Goodwitch," Weiss said, suddenly going very quiet. "You had better explain this situation immediately, or I am stealing your plane and going back home."

"I'm… very sorry. This is agent Ruby Rose. She's also part of the initiative. One of our first recruits, actually," Glynda looked at Ruby sternly. "As she's made very clear, agent Rose already knows who you are. Ruby, _please_ , have some decency and apologize to your teammate."

Ruby blinked, as if awakening from a trance, and suddenly shot up straight, her face becoming as red as her cape.

"I-I'm so sorry! I was just so excited about meeting my new teammates, and then it was you and you were right there and…" Ruby looked down, seemingly unable to meet anyone's eyes at the moment. "I'm kind of your biggest fan…"

That, apparently, was the last thing Weiss expected to her, as she frowned and shook her head vehemently. "Excuse me? Did I hear you right? My biggest… fan…?"

"T-that's right," Ruby bit a finger nervously. "Y-your music is, like, the bestest _ever_ …"

"My _music_?" Weiss repeated. "Well… thank you, I suppose. That's… not really the thing I'm famous for these days, but…"

"It's a tragedy you never released a second album!" Ruby shrieked all of a sudden. "An international freaking tragedy!"

Blake wasn't sure who was more terrified at that moment, Glynda, Weiss, or herself. The four of them were silent for a moment, before Ruby finally mumbled something unintelligible and retreated into the confines of her cape.

"Okay. That was… a surprise," Weiss turned to Blake. "I assume you are also part of this initiative?"

Now that Ruby's moment was over, Blake was suddenly aware of the reality of the situation and who was right in front of her. Weiss Schnee. The heiress to the family that had probably caused the faunus the most suffering for the past half century. And she was talking directly to her.

"Hello?" Weiss frowned. "You look a little pale. Are you okay?"

"I think she's still recovering from agent Rose's outburst," Glynda laughed lightly. "Right, Blake?"

Blake shook herself out of her stupor and forced a little smile onto her lips. "Right. That was very _unexpected_ ," she said. "I'm Blake Belladonna. I'm not with Beacon, but yes, I'm part of the team."

"Ah, I see. You must have been roped into this just like me. We should stick together," Weiss offered a hand. "I take it you've heard about me?"

Blake stared at the outstretched hand for a moment, then took it and gave it a firm shake. "You're correct. I've heard _a lot_ about you, Miss Schnee."

"Of course you have," Weiss let go of Blake's hand. If she had noticed anything weird, she wasn't letting it show. "Anyway, where's the buffoon? Don't tell me she's _still_ napping."

As if summoned, the muffled noise of a motor came from inside the plane, and a few moments later a helmeted girl in a motorcycle came riding down the ramp. She moved towards the group, picking up speed, only to turn sharply and stop right before she would have collided against Weiss.

"Excuse me, princess, but some of us need a healthy dose of sleep to keep our beautiful looks," she removed her helmet, revealing long blonde locks and a pair of violet eyes. "I guess you wouldn't understand. You must have other people to figure that out for you."

"Maybe I do!" Weiss scowled at her. "Or _maybe_ I just don't need any special effort to look good."

"I highly doubt that," the rider turned towards Blake and winked. "But I can tell _she_ is a natural," she got off the motorcycle and put down her helmet on the empty seat. "How did a fine girl like you end up on a dump like this?"

Blake was a little surprised when she felt herself smile, but she did not fight it. It was a little sad that, out of all the introductions she'd had these last couple days, this was easily one of the most normal.

"I walked," she said. "I'm Blake."

"Pleasure to meet you, Blake. I'm Yang," the blonde patted her on the shoulder, which was a little weird, but Blake didn't object. "Just so you know, I'm not usually this catty. It's just that princess Schnee seems to find a lot of pleasure in getting on my nerves. I'm just paying her back."

" _I_ get on _your_ nerves?" Weiss scoffed. "Blake, I assure you, it's the other way around. Yang Xiao Long is a constant pain."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, princess."

"Would you stop calling me-"

"Y-Yang?"

Ruby's voice was so quiet, Blake wondered if anybody else had heard it. The answer quickly became clear, as Weiss stopped talking, Glynda took a step away from the group, and Yang's attention went to the redhead currently grasping tightly at the edges of her cape, her chin trembling ever so slightly.

Yang smiled, and it wasn't like the playful smile she'd given Blake, or the contentious one she'd aimed at Weiss. It was like the sun had come down and housed itself inside her, and now its warmth was being channeled from her into Ruby. All Blake could do was wonder how someone could show someone else so much love so effortlessly – and if she would ever be so lucky to be at the receiving end of a smile like that.

"Hey, sis."

Ruby jumped into Yang's arms and the two embraced, the former turning into a blubbering mess of half-words and tears. Blake smiled and looked at Weiss, and was surprised to find the heiress with an admiring, yet also somewhat bitter expression on her face. It was such a relatable look…

What was Blake doing here? How had she gotten involved with such a strange bunch of people?

"I hate to break you up," Glynda stepped back up to the group, laying a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "But now that everyone is here, it's time to get together and work on the trouble at hand. The Director is calling for a meeting in the Command Room."

"O-okay," Ruby parted from Yang, wiping a tear from her eye. "We can talk later. Right now…" she showed everyone a tenacious smile. "It's time to get to work."

* * *

 "You're _sure_ you are well enough for this?" Pyrrha stopped next to the doorway and looked back at Jaune, her eyes narrowing a bit in worry. "You _can_ stay back and rest. I'll get back to you and fill you in as soon as the meeting's over."

"Pyrrha, please. I'm already miserable enough without-" Jaune covered his mouth for a moment, then nodded to himself and started again. "-without you treating me like an invalid. Not that I don't appreciate your support, just the contrary, but…"

"Sure. Confidence, Jaune. Confidence!" she tapped him the back, and he had to cover his mouth again as his cheeks turned green. Pyrrha withdrew her hand and smiled shakily at him. "Sorry…"

"It happens," Jaune said dejectedly. "Let's just go. Everyone must be waiting for us," he grimaced. "Including our new teammates which I am sure to impress with my majestic appearance."

"That's the spirit!" Pyrrha gave him a thumbs-up, then walked into the Command Room. Jaune took a moment to stare at the back of her head in honest confusion – sometimes he couldn't tell whether Pyrrha really believed in him that much or was just trying to preserve his fragile ego.

Much like the rest of the Beaconship, the Command Room looked like it had been pulled straight out of a blockbuster movie. Dozens of agents were hard at work on panels that ran along its circular walls, windows all around displayed the view of the sky above the clouds, and in the very center of the room was a round digital table. Standing with his back to the table was Director Ozpin, with Commander Goodwitch at his side, and sat around it were Ruby, Blake, a blond girl Jaune didn't recognize, and-

" _Weiss_?" he stopped short of sitting down, one hand on his chair and another on top of his head.

" _Jaune_?" Weiss' response was just as loud, though she did sound a little offended too. He didn't really hold it against her. " _You're_ here?"

"Uh, yeah," Jaune swallowed dry. "I'm… part of the team."

He looked around, waiting for anyone to object to that, or to at last reveal how they had been playing an unnecessarily long prank on him. But no one did – in fact, he could swear the Director looked back at him and smiled, but when Jaune looked his way, Ozpin was facing away again, drinking his coffee nonchalantly.

"Yeah, so…" Jaune sat down. "Hi, Weiss. And team. Hi, team."

"You two know each other?" Pyrrha sat down beside him, her eyes alternating from him to Weiss. "I didn't know that."

"Sure, you did. Didn't I tell you about the time I met Weiss?" Jaune smiled smugly. "It's a great story!"

"Yes, but you didn't make it sound like you knew each other so personally," Pyrrha said. "…Not that I mind, of course!"

"Oh, there is _nothing_ personal about our relationship," Weiss remarked, staring daggers at Jaune. "But I am truly surprised you haven't been bragging about our encounter. Congratulations, you get a cookie."

"Oooh, can I get a cookie too?" Ruby asked, perking up in her chair.

"Ruby, she doesn't have cookies," the blond girl said. "I bet she doesn't even know how to bake cookies."

Weiss scoffed. "Why would I bake cookies if I can just buy them from a store?"

The other girl gestured at Weiss, as if to point out how right she was. Weiss made a show of rolling her eyes and turning away.

"Okay, _that_ feud is not gonna get old any time soon…" Ruby sighed. "Pyrrha, Jaune, this is my sister Yang. She's won, like, a bajillion kickboxing tournaments, she's awesome at making superhero costumes, _and_ she has the hottest Semblance ever," she blinked, "Wait that came out wrong."

"I take punches and I punch right back," Yang smirked. "And I do look pretty hot while doing it, thank you, Ruby."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Ruby glared at her. "This is Pyrrha and Jaune. Pyrrha is _the_ Beacon agent. Legend says, she once took down a pair of Goliaths, all by herself, when she was only thirteen!"

"It was only one Goliath, and I was sixteen. People like to exaggerate," Pyrrha said. "It's nice to meet you, Yang. I didn't realize Ruby had a sister."

"We're half-sisters, technically, not that it matters," Yang said. "What about you, Jaune? What's your deal?"

"I… uh…" Jaune gulped. "I… also took down some Grimm one time. Very big Grimm. They had fangs and claws and everything. I would tell you their species, but they were unclassified! And, uh, we couldn't study them… because I killed them! All by myself. Yeah. That was one _wild_ afternoon, I'll tell you!"

For a good while, everybody just stared at him, saying nothing. Jaune caught even Pyrrha giving him a judgmental look. He let out a nervous laugh, then gestured at the Director enthusiastically.

"Anyway! Aren't we here for a super important team meeting? Let's get to it, then!"

"Indeed. Let's get to it," Director Ozpin turned around and put his coffee mug on the table. "First off, let me express how thankful I am that every one of you have answered our call for help. Some of you have no reason to be standing with us today, other than for the greater good of our world – and while that might sound like the easiest reason of all, when your safety and your future are on the line, it is never that simple. Regardless of what comes to pass, from this moment on, you truly are heroes."

He took a moment to look at each member of the team and nod. From the corner of his eye, Jaune noticed Ruby positively shaking in her seat, a radiant smile stretching her lips.

The Director's gaze left Pyrrha, then he took a step back and turned to Commander Goodwitch.

"Now, it's in everyone's best interests that we are all on the same page about what we're dealing with," she tapped the table, and images of the plane crash Jaune and Pyrrha had survived popped up as a holograph. "Three days ago, agents Nikos and Arc were relocating Roman Torchwick from Vale HQ to an Atlas facility, per Councilmember James Ironwood's demand."

"The relocation was not completed. As they approached the midway point in their flight over the Vale-Atlas ocean, their jet was assaulted by Mercury Black, son of the infamous assassin Marcus Black, now deceased," a profile of Mercury came up. "The assault was aided by the simultaneous attack of a Nevermore Grimm. We firmly believe Black had some, if not total control of this Grimm. Black rescued Torchwick and they made their escape, going off the grid until today."

"Excuse me, Commander, but regarding Mercury Black…" Pyrrha spoke up. "What sort of combatant is he? I was defeated by him that night, and while part of it was because I was caught off guard by the Nevermore and… well, the sheer reality of the situation, I also felt like he wasn't just a regular thug or assassin."

"You aren't wrong to feel that way, agent Nikos," Ozpin said. "Marcus Black was a foe to be feared. He made a business of taking only the highest marks his insidious clients had to offer, and he the job perfected to an art. I'm ashamed to say Beacon never managed to catch him, though many good agents lost their lives trying."

Goodwitch nodded. "Nearing the end of his life, Marcus began to show signs of having an Aura. It was much weaker than those present in Semblance individuals – for he certainly had none – but it was enough of a factor to put him a level above the few rivals he had at the time," she paused. "We did not have a chance to study that phenomena, as Marcus was eventually found dead in one of his hiding spots – or the ashes that remained of it."

"So this Mercury guy has an Aura, but no Semblance?" Ruby asked. "You told me that was impossible, Commander Goodwitch."

"The world is full of surprises, agent Rose," Goodwitch said. "If I told you, two years ago, that one day you would be able to run faster than a speeding car, would you have believed me?"

"If I exercised a lot and tried _really_ hard…"

The Commander shook her head at her, then tapped the table, substituting the holograms with images of a military complex and the symbol of the White Fang.

"While agents Nikos and Arc dealt with that problem, agent Rose was having an adventure of her own. She was assigned to track a Grimm along the eastern coast of Vacuo, and her search eventually led her to this Vacuan base – which had been taken over by a White Fang terrorist cell some four days before."

"They were really creepy, by the way," Ruby interrupted energetically. "They all wore those red and white masks that covered their whole faces – how do they see with those? – and they had _sooo_ many guns, and while I like guns, there's a point in everyone's life where they have to take a step back and realize maybe they don't need that many-"

" _Moving on_ ," the Commander cut her off. "Agent Rose tracked the Grimm to a chamber underneath the complex, upon which she met Miss Belladonna, who was there for her own reasons. There, they hid and witnessed an alliance between Adam Taurus…"

She tapped the table, bringing up a live feed of the terrorist, locked up in a transparent cell somewhere in the Beaconship.

"…and Cinder Fall, our main person of interest," she continued. "What did she have to say, agent Rose?"

"Something about a new world order. The strong ruling the weak, that stupid kind of stuff," Ruby said, frowning. "She sounded like she really meant it, too."

"And Adam went along with it, of course," Blake added bitterly.

"She did kind of threaten his life, though. It's not like he was all excited about it," Ruby pointed out reluctantly.

"Don't let that fool you. Adam is good at deceiving people like that. He _might_ seem like he's only going along with Cinder to save his own skin, but trust me, as soon as he sees an opportunity to stab her in the back and take over…"

Blake fell silent, crossing her arms and hanging back in her chair. Jaune saw Weiss turn towards her, and he immediately recognized that tempestuous expression on her face that meant nothing good was about to come out of her mouth. Fortunately, Commander Goodwitch spoke before that catastrophe went down.

"Though Rose and Belladonna tried to stop them, Cinder Fall and Adam Taurus made their escape, but not before giving a warning regarding Vale – which we now know was a ruse to distract us from this afternoon's happening," the Commander paused. "I think we are all aware of what happened today?"

"Oh yeah," Ruby said. "Weiss was _super_ badass."

"Thank you?" Weiss looked at her unsurely. "…Wait, how do you know that? You were surprised when I arrived here, and there was no time for you to watch footage of the incident between now and then!"

"Ruby's hoping if she sucks up to you enough, you'll sign the poster on the back of her bedroom door," Yang said.

"Y-Yang!" Ruby punched her in the shoulder. "Weiss, I promise you that is _not_ true!"

"You have a poster of me? In your bedroom?" Weiss edged away slowly.

"Yeah, and you get a pretty good view of it when you lie on her bed," Yang noted.

"Yang!" Ruby punched her again. "I don't know why I ever thought you being part of the team was a good idea."

"I don't mean to offend, but I think our time would be better spent listening to the Commander," Pyrrha said, smiling apologetically. "Commander?"

Goodwitch looked at the Director for a moment, as if questioning whether she truly _needed_ to go on with this, before shaking her head and continuing with her report.

"Today's attack on the SDC was the evidence we needed to confirm that Torchwick's escape and Taurus' recruitment were not unrelated. Rather, they are working together – _for_ Cinder Fall," she said. "We believe the attack was not personal. It seems that their target was the Dust Core. For some reason, Fall has taken an interest in it. Miss Schnee, can you imagine why that is?"

"You're asking me what use a madwoman in league with the Grimm and the White Fang could have for an energy source that is infinitely renewable, extremely volatile, and which limits have yet to be discovered?" Weiss raised her hands helplessly. "Her old living room heater isn't cutting it anymore, most likely."

"That's about the answer I expected," Goodwitch nodded. "We don't know what Fall wants. Frankly, we don't even fully believe she really wanted the Core. If she did, she certainly didn't put enough effort into taking it. The attack might very well have been another misdirection, and we played straight into her hand."

"So you're saying we've captured three of her people, yet we've gotten nowhere? In fact, we might be in an even worse position than before?" Weiss asked incredulously. "Remind me how the World Council still trusts you to do your job?"

"I understand the sentiment, Miss Schnne, but the world…" the Director looked around for a moment, then shrugged. "The world is still spinning, after all these years, and quite well at that."

"Frankly, just because Vale hasn't sunk into the ocean and Vacuo hasn't collapsed into complete anarchy, doesn't mean you're doing a good job," Weiss said icily.

The Director grabbed his mug and took a long sip, not making eye contact with anyone. Jaune watched in silence as his teammates shifted uneasily in their seats – even Ruby didn't seem as excited as before. The only one seemingly unaffected by the brief argument was Pyrrha, who looked as dutiful as ever.

"What is our move then, sir?" she asked.

"We will be conducting interrogations with the individuals we captured in Atlas. It is unlikely they will give us anything useful, but you never know," Ozpin said. "Meanwhile, we will be monitoring the sky, the land, and the ocean for any signs of Cinder Fall. If she is found – that is when you six come in. And if she seeks to retrieve her partners or the Core by attacking the Beaconship, she will be met with stark resistance. Keep your weapons and each other close – always be ready."

"You're dismissed," Commander Goodwitch said, minimizing the digital table's display. Director Ozpin turned away, fully channeling his attention into his mug.

Everyone got up, Weiss being the first to do so – with an unreserved noise of contempt. She wasn't the only one unsatisfied with the meeting. Yang was similarly agitated, and there was suspicion written all over Blake's face. Jaune himself didn't know what to make of what was happening.

"Sir, if I may ask a question," Ruby said, drawing everyone's attention as they made to leave. "It's about Cinder Fall."

The Director emptied his mug, then turned to face her. "What about her, Miss Rose?"

"Well…" Ruby bit her lip. "What's the big deal about her? You and the Commander make her sound like she's the worst person ever. And yeah, she beat me up bad and I don't like any of what she said back in Vacuo, but… I don't know. It's all very… confusing, I guess," she looked down for a moment before returning her gaze to the Director. "She told me to ask you about her."

"Did she now?" Ozpin hummed under his breath. "To be honest, Miss Rose, I didn't tell you and your team much about her because, well, there is little to be told. Cinder Fall is a master of many things, chiefly murder and deceit. She is a villain through and through, and that's it," he paused. "Don't let her get into your head. The most important thing right now is stopping her before she hurts anyone."

"Okay," Ruby said, her old smile making a triumphant return. "I can agree with that. Right, guys?"

She looked back, only to receive mixed reactions from the rest of the team. Weiss stormed out of the Command Room, followed a moment later more quietly by Blake. Yang gave her a half-hearted thumbs-up.

"Yay for team-ups," Jaune clapped sadly.

* * *

 On the second lowest floor of the Beaconship, deep within where the rumbling of the propulsion jets could be felt at all times, were cells designed to keep any and all possible threats known to Beacon in permanent confinement. Each cell was kept isolated in a room, and though they were built of a material that could easily have been mistaken for glass, they were even tougher than the steel that would usually be found in max-security prisons on the surface.

It was almost an honor to be kept in one of those. It really spoke of how dangerous one was when Beacon went to such lengths to keep them in check. Except Torchwick was very much aware that, in his case, such a cage was a gross exaggeration, and since this was his third time being held by Beacon…

He _really_ wanted to get out. He knew he would, soon enough, but he could hardly wait for even a couple more hours – and he had a feeling he would be stuck there for considerably longer.

That was why he was so pleasantly surprised when, for no longer than a few seconds, Emerald Sustrai appeared leaning against a wall of his room, as if she had always been there. She looked like she had run a ten-kilometer marathon, and when she turned her head to look at him and put a finger over her lips, she almost collapsed. And then she was gone again, never noticed by the agents standing guard outside or the one watching through a security camera at the corner of the room.

Torchwick laid back against the wall of his cell, lowering his hat over his eyes.

Soon.


	5. Chaos in the Sky

Weiss could hardly believe it, but working with Beacon was turning out to be even more troublesome than she had imagined. In hindsight, six months of dealing with the agency through Commander Goodwitch should have prepared her for this, but she had kept hope that Beacon was better, that an outsider's perspective is what made her feel so antagonistic towards them.

Yet now she found herself taking orders from the Supreme Director himself, told to fight some woman she had never heard of before, because she was going to do some unspeakable evil which no one seemed sure about either. She was at the heart of Beacon, and she knew nothing. Whether because she was the heiress of the SDC or a non-agent, she was being kept in the dark. Whatever the case, Weiss was not happy about it.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing bothering her. Maybe if this _team_ Ozpin had gathered was actually of any use, she wouldn't be so cross. But as it stood, her teammates comprised of a fourteen-year-old fangirl with the attention span of a baby squirrel; her obnoxious brute of a half-sister; _Jaune_ ; Director Ozpin's brainwashed lapdog… and Blake Belladonna, who Weiss just didn't know what to make of.

Weiss looked around the hangar of the Beaconship. She knew Blake had left for the open air when the Director had ended his meeting. Blake seemed to have her own reservations regarding Beacon, and though Weiss had no inkling why that was, it certainly set her apart from the rest of the team. Whether that was a good thing was what Weiss intended to investigate.

A few minutes of searching eventually awarded her with the sight of her target, standing dangerously close to the edge of the Beaconship, her eyes set on the clouds that they slowly hovered past. Weiss stopped a safe distance behind Blake, thinking it best for both of them that she didn't scare her.

She paused for a moment, not knowing what to say. Unfortunately, years of etiquette training had not taught Weiss how to initiate such a conversation. "Hey."

Blake looked over her shoulder, seemingly not at all surprised by Weiss' appearance. Time came to a halt as they locked eyes, trying to puzzle each other out – searching for something – something unknown, but undeniable…

Then Blake gave a slight nod and returned to looking to at the clouds. Weiss blinked. Well, that had been… strange. She shook her head and walked forward, stopping beside Blake. One look down had her take a step back immediately. Weiss wasn't particularly afraid of heights, but she didn't put much trust in the stability of the Beaconship.

"So," she said. "I take it you're not all too happy about being here either."

Blake took a deep breath, then slowly turned her gaze to her. Weiss got the feeling Blake didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. Too bad.

"What have I done for you to assume that?" Blake asked.

"Not much. It's just a general feeling. That, and…" Weiss gestured behind them. "I do remember you saying you're not a Beacon agent. Another thing we have in common."

"Are you making a list?" Blake sighed. "Look, if you're looking for someone to vent to, I'm not your woman."

"Vent to? Do you mistake me for a child, Blake Belladonna?" Weiss scoffed. "This issue is more serious than that. It _should_ concern you that Beacon is going around, recruiting people like us to form some elite _team_ and then telling us to sit tight and wait, like we're dogs on leashes-"

" _Again_ ," Blake cut her off, her voice void of emotion. "I am not your woman. Go find someone else."

Weiss pursed her lips. She had to admit, she hadn't planned for this. Some hesitancy or uncomfortableness, she had expected, but Blake was outright telling them to go away.

"Alright. I'll drop it. But remember this conversation," Weiss said. "I only have one question, if you wouldn't mind."

Blake rolled her eyes. "I do mind, but you clearly don't care, so…"

"Adam Taurus," Weiss saw Blake stiffen, but only momentarily – a second later, Blake was back to her reserved self. "Back at the meeting, you talked about him, and it sounded like you knew him personally. Certainly well enough to have the worst judgement of him. Even so… How, and why, do you know him?"

For a good while, Blake did not speak. Her eyes were narrowed, and Weiss caught a glance of her fingers curling into fists. Discreetly as she could, Weiss raised the back of her feet, preparing for a hasty retreat…

"He tried to kill me, once," Blake said. "I repaid the favor."

Weiss frowned. It was a little disconcerting to hear Blake easily admit to something so dark, but it would be hypocritical of her to judge. She hadn't exactly held back against Torchwick six months ago – or Adam, just earlier in the day.

"Is that it?" Weiss said. "That is hardly an answer. What is he to you? And why were you on a White Fang base when Ruby found you?"

"Honestly?" Blake shrugged. "It's none of your business."

"It absolutely _is_ my business! If I'm going to fight alongside you, I'd better well know I can trust you – and that entails making sure you're not in cohorts with the maniac we have locked downstairs that would very much like to behead me!" Weiss exclaimed. "You owe me an explanation!"

"Are you serious? Where do you get off?!" Blake stepped towards her, her voice rising for the first time. "I don't _owe_ you anything. _You_ are the one who needs to earn _my_ trust, not the other way around, _Schnee_."

"Ah. There it is. I get it now," Weiss spat. "Tell me how I hurt you, then. What did I do to earn your hatred, Belladonna?"

" _Hatred_? God, your ego really is unbelievable," Blake shook her head. "But I must say, you are not _that_ far off. Keep up that attitude and you'll be there in no time."

"What the hell does that mean?!"

Blake waved dismissively at her, then turned abruptly and walked away. Weiss reached for her, closing a hand around her wrist – only for Blake to dissolve between her fingers. Weiss recoiled in fright, nearly stumbling off the Beaconship's edge. She looked up, and Blake was nowhere to be found.

Today really wasn't her best day.

* * *

 "So, how's school been?"

Ruby groaned and stuck her head further into the armory's locker, rummaging through its contents diligently. She needed something sturdy, but flexible and small… something that wouldn't add too much weight, so as to not affect the trajectory of a throw or a slash… Conundrums, conundrums…

"What?" Yang asked behind her, poking the small of her back. "Why aren't you answering me, Rubes?"

"You know why!" Ruby shouted back, her voice being muffled by the locker. "After all this time, the first thing you wanna talk about is school? I thought you were cooler than that, Yang. _Ugh_."

"Sorry, I didn't realize being a caring older sister was so uncool," Yang said dramatically. "But you know what they say. Sisters are like a fine wine. The older they get, the… better they taste, or something?"

"Nobody says that, about sisters _or_ wine," Ruby grumbled. Her eyes lit up as her hand brushed against something. "I think I found my thingy!"

She grabbed the object and got out of the locker, then held it before her eyes. Like she'd thought, it was a small rectangular piece of refined steel, with a thin section at the middle hollowed through.

"Yes, this is just what I was looking for!" she giggled, going back to the worktable at the center of the room, where a short blade and Blake's ribbon lay. "I'm going to make the awesomest weapon ever – my baby not included, of course!"

"You know, I've told you a bunch of times already, but your fascination with sharp objects and bullets is really not healthy for a girl your age," Yang said. "Any age, actually."

"You're just jealous I'm not making a weapon for you," Ruby replied matter-of-factly, smiling earnestly as she picked up the ribbon and the new piece. She needed to pass the ribbon through it then attach it to the blade – maybe weld it, with some latches on top for good measure…

"That's where you're mistaken. I already have my weapons," Yang said, raising her fists and kissing them. "These are all I ever need."

"Hmm," Ruby looked at her critically. "They aren't nearly as cool as Crescent Rose."

Yang rolled her eyes at her. Ruby examined what she had on the worktable, picking out a few more pieces she'd needed for the welding. Her excitement over working on a new weapon was quickly diminishing. Yang's appearance had surprised her greatly, not at all in a bad manner, and Ruby was happy to be alone with her for a while… but she hadn't realized how awkward it was going to be. Ruby still very much loved her sister, and she knew she received the same amount of love from Yang, if not more, but a year and a half of being apart was not something they could just move past like it was nothing.

"If you must know…" Ruby said quietly, moving the blade along the table without any real purpose. "School's fine. I mean, kinda fine. Some of my grades are… uh, _bad_ , since I've been spending so much time on Beacon and superheroing and all that – but it's fine. Just a few more months of class, and then I'm a free woman," she looked up at Yang. "And you…? I remember you messaged me about some college stuff."

"Oh, yeah. That was a while ago, when I was in Vale. I was just looking around, and there are some pretty good universities there. But I doubt they'd accept me," Yang shrugged. "I'm not really considering stuff like that at the moment. Maybe in the future."

"Okay," Ruby nodded. "So, if that's not your thing, what is? Have you found anything yet?" she smiled nervously. "Not that I'm pressuring you, it's just… I mean, it's been a long time."

Yang sighed, and Ruby immediately regretted saying that. How many months she'd prepared herself for this conversation, and she had managed to screw it up at record pace…

"I don't know," Yang said, rubbing her forehead tiredly. "I haven't done much. I've just been living life, you know – the day-by-day, minimum wage life all girls dream about," she looked away. "I'm sorry I let you down, Ruby."

"Yang!" In the blink of an eye, Ruby was at the other side of the table, wrapping her arms around her sister. "Stop it! You haven't let me down at all! I get why you're living away, and I'll always support you. You know that!"

"Ruby, please, I know you're on my side, and I love you for that, but… come on!" Yang threw her hands up. "It's been more than a year, and I haven't learned anything except how high you can price a double cheeseburger without getting into legal trouble. I should have known it would go this way – the _only_ thing I know for sure about my mom is her name, and that obviously hasn't gotten me anywhere."

"We know she worked with Beacon, or something like that," Ruby said. "We could ask Miss Goodwitch about her – or even the Director. I don't think they'd mind helping you."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen, Ruby," Yang shook her head. "Listening to Weiss gives me a headache, but if there's one thing she's right about, it's that we can't trust Beacon."

"Yang! How could you say that!" Ruby stepped away, frowning. "You know how long I've been working with Beacon. Yeah, there's some shady stuff here and there, but our job is to fight terrorists and monsters, I think that's kind of expected. And Miss Goodwitch and Director Ozpin are good people!"

"Ruby, I'm not judging you. You've found your place here, and that's great! I'm proud of you," Yang said. "It's just not the same for me. Can we not fight about this?"

Ruby pursed her lips and returned to her side of the table. She agreed with Yang, there was no point in fighting. Neither of them were going to change their mind. Even so, she couldn't stop herself from getting one last thing out in the open…

"It wouldn't kill you to call Dad," Ruby muttered. "I'm not blaming you for anything. But he misses you. I'm not home that often anymore, and after everything he's gone through…"

"Maybe if he was clear about what _everything_ was, that wouldn't be a problem," Yang said, and though there was anger in her voice, Ruby could tell that, more than anything else, she was sad. "I can't go back, not until he's ready to tell me about Raven. If that takes one year or ten or twenty, that's on him."

Ruby sighed. She missed the days when the most complicated thing about her family was her dad raising two kids from different mothers all by himself…

"You're not upset at me, are you?" Yang asked.

" _No_ …" Ruby said grudgingly. She picked up Blake's future blade and swung it between them, pointing towards Yang's face. "I promise not to bother you about it… as long as you stop teasing me in front of the team. Especially Weiss."

"Is it because you have a crush on her, hmm?" Yang beamed. "I always knew, sis. I just had a feeling!"

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Ruby looked at the ceiling in desperation. "It's not like I'm obsessed with her, I just like her music!"

" _Sure_. That's what all the groupies say," Yang pointed out.

"Whatever. You're one to speak, Miss _Introduce Myself by Flirting Shamelessly_ ," Ruby scowled. "You're lucky Blake didn't think you're a weirdo – which you are, by the way!"

"No, Ruby, I am _lucky_ she took it so well," Yang winked at her. "Some might even say she liked it. Maybe I should see where that path leads… What do you think?"

"I think you'd be jeopardizing our team-up," Ruby put her hands on her hips and pouted. "Please don't ruin this. It's my dream-come-true."

Yang rubbed her chin for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I promise to behave for the rest of the mission," she paused. "But I thought your dream-come-true was to get an autograph from Weiss? Or was it a kiss? No, I remember it now, it's an autograph signed with lipstick, preferably on your-"

Ruby interrupted her with a long, drawn-out groan. Yang stopped talking, and instead leaned on the table to smile radiantly at her, like she was some innocent angel. As frustrated as she was, Ruby couldn't stop herself from giggling

"You're the worst, Yang."

* * *

 "You're sure about this, Blake?" Pyrrha asked. "I need to know you are, or I'm not opening this door for you."

Blake looked at the agent, and despite everything she had been through lately and what she was about to do, she couldn't help but give her a little smile. She wasn't comfortable here, in this Beacon-commandeered flying behemoth, but she knew she could trust Pyrrha at least, even after all those years.

Still, she did feel a bit guilty too. She was asking something of Pyrrha that her superiors probably wouldn't approve of. If she got caught, the consequences would be severe, even for an agent of her caliber. The only thing Blake could do was make the best of her help.

"I'm sure," Blake said. "I need to do this."

"Do you?" Pyrrha questioned. "It's been four years. Maybe it's best for the past to stay in the past."

"I would agree, if the past had stayed dead," Blake replied grimly. "I can't not confront him, Pyrrha."

"Okay. I just needed to be sure," Pyrrha took out an access card from her pocket and swiped it on the door's digital locker. "You think you can get anything out of him?"

The door opened, revealing a pristine white room, and the center of it, a round cell with Adam Taurus inside. He was sat on the floor, appearing restless, but when he looked up and saw his visitors, a grin formed on his lips.

Blake stepped inside. "No."

After telling her she would be nearby if Blake needed her, Pyrrha closed the door, leaving Blake alone with her… enemy.

It had always been hard to think of Adam like that, and even his latest deeds hadn't changed that. Blake had more than enough reasons to hate him, and she certainly didn't expect anything good from him anymore… But that didn't change how she felt. Their past was ugly, but it was many other things aside from that.

"Blake. I was wondering if you were going to show up," Adam said, still sitting down. "Have you come to interrogate me? They've already tried – the Director himself, and that redhead friend of yours. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Blake, but your luck is not gonna be any better."

"I'm not here for Beacon. I'm here for myself," Blake stopped in front of his cell, crossing her arms to hide how badly her hands were shaking. "That's not true. I'm here for us – for all faunus, because you seem to take pleasure in dragging us across the mud every chance you get."

"My God, Blake. Already with this self-righteous crap?" he snorted. "You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"And _you_ have only gotten worse."

Slowly, Adam stood up. He leaned back against the wall behind him, his grin only widening. "If you came here to get some satisfaction from me, I'm afraid you're gonna be very disappointed."

Blake bit her tongue. The point of her visit wasn't to lash out at him. She knew doing that wouldn't make anything better – she would probably feel even worse afterwards, and Adam would only be more encouraged by it.

"Why are you working with Cinder Fall?" Blake asked. "I don't care to find out what she's planning – I know it's something bad. We are working on that. I care that _you_ are going along with it, and in the process, you're making life even more difficult for the faunus. Adam, there is no going back from this, for _any_ of us. Can't you see that?"

"Of course I can. You've just answered your own question, Blake!" Adam said, gesturing animatedly with his hands. "A new world, Blake, a world where we no longer will have to endure humanity's rule any, and there will be no going back! The faunus will rise, as was always our birthright, and we will dictate the fate of Remnant – and I've already got some pretty good ideas waiting to be implemented."

"You can't believe that, Adam. No one is that mad," Blake said. "Even if this _new world_ of yours actually came to be, think of all the people who would be hurt in the process, human _and_ faunus! What's the point of ruling the world if all that's left of it is pain and misery?"

"The _point_ is anything is better than being treated like a dog, begging for scraps at the feet of so-called masters and taking punishment after punishment after punishment," Adam growled. "At least that's what I think. You seem happy enough where you are."

He walked towards her, stopping an arm's reach away from her. Blake's mind raced back ten years, to the last time they were separated by a glass wall. Two kids, scared to all hell thinking they would never see the light of day again, but they had found strength in each other. Things had been so different back then, yet in some regards, nothing had changed.

"You question my choice of partners, but I find yours far more troubling," Adam said, considerably cooler than before – like nothing had ever gone bad between them. "You are so much better than this, Blake. If you truly believe everything you say about equality and working together with the humans, you should never stand with Beacon."

"I don't like Beacon, but that's a gross exaggeration, Adam," Blake said. "Could they do more to help the faunus? Sure. But so could the White Fang. If Beacon didn't have to thread the needle between helping the discriminated and stomping out terrorism…"

"Do you really believe that, Blake?" Adam smiled humorlessly. "I think you and I both know better. I think there's a reason you wear that bow, why you keep your true nature secret. You know that as soon as you do something Beacon doesn't like – as soon as you give them reason to think you might be as bad as me…"

He gestured at the cage that surrounded him. Blake uncrossed her arms, her fists clenching at her sides as she thought of a hundred different ways to refute his point, but she couldn't bring herself to carry on with any of them. Four years, and Adam still knew exactly what to say to get to her. She hated him for it, but she hated herself far more for being unable to say he was wrong.

And then, as if to undo her completely, he raised a hand and laid it on the glass before her – and once more memories came flooding back to the surface like a torrent, and she found herself nearly raising her own hand to match his. All the while, her eyes were locked on his – and was that the Adam of today, the merciless terrorist, or the boy who had been her friend when she needed it most?

"Tell me, Blake. After you tried to kill me… when you thought I was dead… Did you ever cry for me?"

Blake closed her eyes, steeling herself the best she could as her whole body trembled. Her chest constricted, and a burning sensation rose from it to her throat, and she knew that if she tried to speak, a breakdown would come, unstoppable and without mercy.

She opened her eyes – and screamed when she saw the room was suddenly taken by darkness. Adam's cage was nowhere to be seen, and where he had stood before was now a tall and twisted shadow of him, with red eyes that stared at her from above full of hate, like she was guilty of the most unspeakable crime…

Something hit the back of her head. The room swirled around her as she crumbled, confusion and nausea and horror keeping her from rational thought.

And then, darkness.

* * *

 Mercury whistled, rolling Blake onto her back with his foot. A gentle tap at her cheek told him she was completely out. How unexpectedly neat. Her Aura hadn't been enough to protect her from his attack – though he knew better than to take full credit for the takedown.

"Damn, nice work, Em," he said. "What did you make her see?"

"You, naked," Emerald replied, too tired to give him the time of day. "You're free, Taurus. And thanks for keeping her busy. Took one more idiot out of the equation for us."

"I wasn't keeping her busy," Adam shrugged. "It was a nice conversation we were having. But I do appreciate your arrival – even if it took a while."

"Oh, were you bored? I am _so_ sorry!" Emerald rolled her eyes. "Next time I'll ignore the massive headache that comes with keeping myself invisible to a dozen people's eyes for four hours straight and come straight to your rescue."

"Come on, Emerald. We're all very grateful for your help," Mercury said. "Let's just get Adam out and get on with the plan."

Emerald grumbled something under her breath, then slid her Beacon access card – swiped from the oh-so-helpful agent Nikos in the hallway – on the cage's door, opening it. Adam stepped out, cracking his neck and fingers.

"This is for you," Mercury tossed him his katana and a metallic sphere. Adam fixed his weapon to his belt and hid the sphere on the inside pocket of his vest.

"You're welcome," Emerald said brusquely. "Alright. Torchwick should be getting his part done very soon. Let's get to ours – and Mercury, no playing around! If you mess things up for me, I'm gonna make you pay personally."

"Sure, _boss_. Your impression of Cinder is adorable, by the way."

Emerald glared at him, then marched out the room. Mercury looked back at Adam, then at Blake on the ground.

"Leave her to me," Adam said. "I've got business with her."

"Sounds personal. The boss doesn't like personal," Mercury shrugged. "Whatever. It's your problem, dude. As long as you get the job done…"

"Trust me, I will," Adam smirked. "This time, I'm not holding back."

* * *

 The Command Room was taken by constant beeping and typing of keys, as the agents aboard monitored Remnant for any sign of Cinder Fall. Every corner of every country was being scoured to the minutest detail, flight and oceanic patterns analyzed for any oddities, but so far, nothing had been found, and considering Cinder had remained completely out of the grid for years, there was little chance that would be changing anytime soon.

Jaune was torn. He wanted to help, but he wasn't sure he could – and that, more than anything these past few days, was a heavy blow to his confidence. He was resigned to the fact that, in the company of the likes of Pyrrha, he was never going to be a powerhouse on the field. But this stuff, with computers and data? He thought there was something there for him. But if these elite agents were finding no success, how could he ever hope to?

It was clear to him now. He had fooled himself, had let that small moment six months ago, when he had – in his mind – saved the day, get to his head. This wasn't the place for him. Jaune Arc did not belong in Beacon, and he never would.

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

Jaune shuddered. Out of everyone in the Beaconship, the last person he wanted to talk to was Weiss. Not that he didn't like her, but she was difficult to deal with most often. And her being a part of the team just made him even more aware of how out of his league he was.

"Hey," he turned around slowly, trying to appear casual, but the critical look on Weiss' eyes made it clear she wasn't falling for it. "Sorry, I was just deep in thought."

"How novel," Weiss said, her voice dripping sarcasm. "I wonder what important notions live inside your head? It can't be anything light, for an agent like you…"

Jaune held back a sigh. He wasn't liking where this was heading. "Did you want to talk, Weiss?"

"Are we on a first name basis, then?" Weiss clucked her tongue. "Yes, I have business with you. Unless you have more important things to do?"

Jaune looked away nervously, looking for a way out of the conversation, though he knew there was none. Bracing himself, he nodded, then followed Weiss as she walked away, stopping at a corner of the room far from the agents at work – and the Director and Commander Goodwitch, who both seemed to pay no mind to them.

"You know, Arc, at first I simply could not understand how a person as incompetent as you could land a place here, at the height of Beacon, my _teammate_ ," Weiss said, turning around to face him, her eyes sharp like razors. "But upon further consideration, the answer became obvious to me – though I must commend you, you had me fooled for months. You are the prime example of a Beacon agent, Jaune Arc. And that's the kindest way I can put it."

"W-what?" Jaune blinked. "I… don't know what you're talking about."

"You can drop your charade," Weiss said. "I know what you've been doing, making yourself look like a fool so I would lower my guard, and it worked. You _tricked_ me, and now you have what you wanted," she flicked her wrist, conjuring a small glyph over the palm of her hand. "Was it you who sent me the Semblance info? Or was it your Commander? Not that it makes any difference – you two make a flawless act."

"You… you think I was… manipulating you?" Jaune could barely believe what he was hearing. He would be flattered, if his situation wasn't so scary. "Why would I do that? To get you to unlock your Semblance? That's crazy! And there are so many factors – Torchwick; Goodwitch arresting you; us almost dying so many times… You're joking, right?"

"Sadly, I am not," Weiss groaned. "I realize how ridiculous this sounds – but frankly, I don't know what's beyond you and Beacon anymore. And if this isn't true, if my mind is going wild and you're really… _you_ ," Weiss shook her head. "Please tell me the truth."

Jaune pursed his lips, not knowing what to say. He couldn't tell whether Weiss really believed anything she was saying – she didn't seem like herself at the moment. It made him realize how strange and _stressful_ this situation must be for her, thrust into the heart of the organization she least trusted, and right after almost being assassinated on top of it.

Maybe she deserved the truth, but Jaune didn't know if he could give that to her. He could tell her _his_ truth… but he wasn't sure that would help at all. In fact, he imagined it would only make things worse for the both of them. But what other options did he have?

"Weiss… I didn't lie or manipulate you or anything like that," Jaune said carefully. "I was just doing my job, and things went the way they did. You got your powers – I was told about the evil monsters. And here we are now," he paused. "I'm as lost as you are."

"That… is _not_ comforting," Weiss said. "You are telling me you have no idea why you're here either. _Great_."

"Don't worry about that. I'm gonna hand over my letter of resignation as soon as all this crazy business is over."

By the time he realized what he was saying, it was too late, and he couldn't take the words back. Weiss flinched and took a step back, as if that was the last thing she had expected to hear, but that couldn't compare to how surprised Jaune himself was. Where had _that_ come from? Had he been contemplating that decision all along, or had it just popped into his mind right then and there? Regardless, it… didn't feel so wrong.

Before either of them could say anything, however, they were plunged into sudden darkness. Gasps and curses rose from all around the room, then Commander Goodwitch's voice rang clear, biding everyone to calm down. A few moments later, bright lights from the hangar poured into the Command Room – the emergency generators had come online.

"What's the situation?" Director Ozpin asked, watching from his spot near the strategy table as the agents' computers rebooted and they got to work. "This is not a simple shortage, people. We must act quickly – the worst is yet to come."

Jaune groaned internally. Now why would anyone say something like that?

"Director! We have power, but…" an agent spoke up. "The systems… Nothing is responding!"

Suddenly, every monitor lit up again, casting the room in a red hue. Jaune looked away for a quick second, and once his eyes had adjusted to the brightness, looked at the nearest screen. It wasn't just red, he realized.

"That symbol is Cinder Fall's," Ozpin said dreadfully. He turned around to look at Jaune and Weiss. "Get ready! And your colleagues, you must-"

" _Something's coming!_ "

The whole Beaconship rocked, and the light from outside was briefly gone. Jaune looked through the windows, and for a while, he couldn't understand what he was seeing – a giant mass of black, and two points of blood-like red, swirling and shimmering like flames.

A cold hand closed around his wrist. "Is that…?" In the moment, Weiss didn't seem to care how close they were, and he had more urgent things in mind too.

"A Grimm. Yeah," Jaune drew in a shaky breath. "Actually, that's… a lot of them…"

The Nevermore spread its wings and screeched, and dozens of smaller Grimm jumped from its back and spread out on the hangar. A mix of Dust rounds and regular bullets sprayed the air, but that seemed too small a measure against the size of the horde.

"I… I'm going out there," a tentative confidence rang in Weiss' voice. "You get the others."

"A-are you sure?" Jaune asked, his eyes going out. The idea of stepping outside the room shook him to the core. That Weiss was so quick to take on the risk was both inspiring and terrifying.

"Yes, but you're bringing me back-up, you hear?" Weiss said, starting towards the exit. "Don't leave me hanging, Arc!"

"W-wait!" Jaune shouted, and she looked back at him, and he could see she was trembling from head to toe. "Weiss, you are _the_ _woman_."

She paused, then smiled and cocked her head, as if to say she didn't need any reminding. Then she turned and walked out onto the hangar, white light gathering around her hands. Jaune didn't stay to watch what came next – he had a job to do.

* * *

 "Ruby, I don't like this. Not one bit," Yang said, only barely making out the hallway to either side of them. "Any chance the batteries for the giant floating base didn't make the cut?"

"I think it's more likely Cinder tossed out the batteries," Ruby shook her head. "Comms are down too. We gotta check in up there, figure out what's going on, and fast."

"Well that's not _my_ specialty," Yang looked at her sister quizzically. "You go ahead, I'll catch up. And don't give me that look! If things are so bad that we can't be separated for a couple minutes, then we're doomed anyway."

"Urgh, why do you have to use logic!" Ruby said. "If you die, I'm gonna be very upset." She turned and, in the blink of an eye, was gone, only a trail of petals the evidence that she had ever been there.

"Thanks, I'm flattered," Yang grumbled, and started moving down the hallway.

She knew the Director had said something like this was likely to happen, but that didn't make the rocking of the Beaconship and the distant gunshots any less scary. Yang had a good guess what could cause such a ruckus, and though she had dealt with Grimm before – and very well at that – a lot of time had passed since then. She wasn't out of shape, but she wasn't the kickboxing champion of her youth either.

"Listen to you, acting like you're a grandma," she whispered to herself. "You got this. Meet up with Ruby, kick Grimm butt, save the day. It's that-"

Ahead of her, something hit the floor with a dull noise. Yang stopped in her tracks. Every noise around her faded away, leaving her with only a deadly silence, like a thick fog had enveloped her all around, insulating her from the world.

And then he saw him, Adam Taurus, painting the walls red with a flick of his blade. Beside him, on the floor, was the unmoving form of a Beacon agent. Yang took a step back. She hadn't hesitated at all when she had fought him before, but in the darkness, Adam looked like another creature altogether, much deadlier and unpredictable. She knew she had to stop him – but could she?

In her fear-riddled state, Yang didn't move one inch as he turned and started walking in the opposite direction, his back turned to her. That was when she noticed he was carrying something – _someone_ over his shoulder, their body limp, long dark hair concealing a pale face…

"Hey!" Yang's shout echoed across the hallway, and she gulped, taken aback by the sudden loudness of her own voice. "Stop right there, scumbag!"

Slowly, he turned around. A smile graced his lips when he met her eyes, and Yang couldn't help but tense up, expecting the worst. "How convenient. I was hoping we would meet again," he said. "I think you got the wrong impression of me last time."

"I don't think so. My impression was you're a despicable piece of trash," Yang replied. "It's gonna take a hell of a lot to convince me otherwise."

"I was talking about your defeating me. If you can call it that. The princess did half the work, and… Well, my heart wasn't in the fight. I wasn't supposed to win, not then," he raised his sword in front of him. "That's not true now."

He dropped the person from his shoulder, and they fell limp on the floor, facing upward, and even in the dark, Yang immediately recognized Blake.

Her eyes returned to Adam just in time to catch him running at her, swinging his sword her head. Yang threw herself to the side, barely avoiding the blade, but slamming against a wall in the process. Adam didn't miss a beat, swinging back around and forcing her to the floor, lest her head be chopped clean off her neck.

Holding herself up with her hands, Yang thrust out her legs, striking Adam on his right knee. As he faltered, Yang shoved herself upwards and connected a punch under his jaw, sending Adam stumbling backwards, leaning against a wall to keep his balance.

Yang landed on her feet and brought her fists up close to her face, hopping back and forth lightly, her fight instincts kicking into high gear. She was fairly sure that in a fair fight, she had the experience and skill to easily defeat Adam, but as long as he had his sword, this was not a fair fight. Her Aura did wonders to protect her from harm, but she had the feeling that one good slash from that blade, coupled with his Semblance, would put her out of commission for good.

"Scared?" Adam pushed himself away from the wall, running a hand over his lips. He wasn't bleeding, but Yang bet her punch had left the lower half of his face numb, at least. "Where's that bravado from before, Goldilocks? Not confident unless you're attacking a man from behind his back? I wouldn't be surprised – it's typical from your species."

"What's typical is assholes like you not backing up their words," Yang said. "Come on and take me out if you're such a badass. I'm waiting."

Adam grinned, and with an overhead swing of his blade, released a surge of red energy that lit up the hallway. Yang sidestepped just in time and felt her skin heat up as the projectile passed her. A strand of her hair hovered in front of her eyes for a moment, cut off and singed at the edges, before burning up and disappeared.

"That…" Yang looked back at Adam, her eyes turning red. "…was not a good move, pal."

"Scary," Adam grinned. "But I would be more scared if you, as you put it, _backed up your words_. You can't take me, and you know it," he spun his katana and pointed it at her face, the very tip of it starting to glow red. "For curiosity's sake, what's your good hand?"

Yang growled at him and prepared to charge, but stopped when she saw movement behind Adam. A yellow light flashed before her eyes, and Adam fell to his knees, shaking like he had been struck by lightning. Blake stood behind him, holding a Dust pistol in her hands, her shoulders rising and falling with her laborious breath.

"When I think you've hit bottom, you keep surprising me," she said bitterly. "Go to hell, Adam."

Blake swung her leg, kicking Adam on the side of his head. He rolled away, still shaking, but jumped back to his feet somehow. His eyes went from Blake to Yang, then he reached under his vest and pulled something out.

"You've cast your lot, Blake," he said. "Don't say I didn't try."

He extended his hand, revealing an orb made of something kind of metal, with a small button on the side. He pressed it, dropped the orb, and ran, disappearing in the darkness. Blake made to chase him, but the orb spun and parted into two halves, connected in the middle. Suddenly, a light came showering out of it, and something red came into being above it, made of pure energy, undulating and extending like mindless tendrils.

Yang knew what was happening at once. "Blake, watch out!" She jumped towards Blake, shoving her away just as a Beowolf leaped out of the portal, already striking out with his claws. Yang took the attack on her arm and spun around, punching the Grimm on the chest with all her strength, turning it into smoke.

"A man-made portal? Is that a thing?" Blake asked, distressed. "I wasn't made aware that was a thing."

"Me neither, but it's definitely a thing now," Yang said. "I would say we should deal with this, but there's something big happening above us and my little sister is there – so what do you think about running and locking these Grimm behind us for the time being?"

An Ursa came out of the portal and roared at them, and was quickly followed by more of its species, as well as Beowolves and Boarbatusks. Blake stepped back, slowly lowering her pistol.

"Yeah, running sounds nice."

* * *

 "Pyrrha? Can you hear me? Pyrrha? Please answer me!"

She opened and found herself being shaken by her shoulders, by none other than Jaune. She was on the floor, inside a supply closet, it seemed. How… how had she gotten there? The last thing she remembered was standing guard in the hallway while Blake talked with Adam, then…

The world began to spin around her, going faster and faster, becoming a blur, and suddenly breathing was the hardest thing she had ever tried…

"Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled, shaking her again. "Stay with me! You're-" his voice cracked. "You're doing the thing again, and we can't have you doing that right now! I can't have that! So just… Slow down, count to three, all that stuff, okay?"

Pyrrha opened her mouth, and a hiccup rocked her body. She reached up and squeezed Jaune's hands with her own, and closed her eyes. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three.

She opened her eyes, and was relieved to see he was smiling now. "There. Welcome back to Remnant."

"What… what happened?" she sat up slowly, shaking her head. She wasn't tired, but her mind felt slow – but she was getting better by the second, she could feel it.

"I don't know what happened. I came looking for everyone and found you here. The door was locked, and you…" Jaune frowned. "You were way out of it, Pyrrha. Your eyes were scary unfocused, and you kept mumbling about all sorts of things…"

"Things?" she asked. "Like what?"

"I don't remember any specifics. But it wasn't anything good, that's for sure," Jaune sighed. "Let me tell you, I'm really glad I don't have the same nightmares as you."

Pyrrha rubbed her temple, trying to recall what had happened exactly. "I think… There was someone. A girl?" she nodded. "Yes. I think she did something to me. But why did you come looking for me? Is something going on?"

"Oh, yeah, _something_ is going on," Jaune said grimly. "There's a Grimm attack happening on the surface. And all the prisoners are gone from their cells."

Pyrrha stood up abruptly, nearly knocking him down in the process. She got out of the supply closet and looked around. The hallway was empty and silent… too silent.

"What about Blake? Did you find her?" she asked. "She was talking to Adam when I… you know. If he got out…"

"I didn't find her. Didn't find Ruby or Yang either," Jaune said. "Only person accounted for is Weiss. We were in the Command Room when it started. And now she's fighting up there… hopefully not alone anymore."

"Hopefully? We need to get there right now, before it's too-"

A shrill noise interrupted her, like metal being scratched, and as she turned towards its origin, she noticed the hallway was not empty anymore. An Ursa was running their way, dragging its claw against the wall, and behind it followed a lot more Grimm.

"Oh crap," Jaune said, taking out his pistol. "Did they get through already? Is everyone-"

"No time to think about that!" Pyrrha yelled. "Behind me - give me cover!"

She drew her shield and strode towards the Grimm, bracing herself. As she and the Ursa were about to meet, Pyrrha spun, blocking the creature's slash and slicing its head off in the same motion. The rest of the Grimm converged on her, but she didn't falter, instead clashing head-on against them, her shield held in front.

The space around her was filled with smoke as she deflected each Grimm's attack flawlessly and took them out instantly in return, being careful to only move as much as was necessary. Against such a large quantity of enemies in a confined space, one overextension could prove fatal, and Pyrrha knew that well. If she had had a choice, she would have gone into this fight with ranged weaponry, but that was out of the question now.

Eventually, the last Grimm fell to a bash of her shield, and the hallway was cleared once again. But as she turned back, Pyrrha realized that wasn't true – a Grimm approached from the other end of the hallway, and was right behind Jaune now. He was oblivious, even as the Ursa raised its claw…

"Jaune!" Pyrrha threw her shield, but it was too late.

The claw connected, and Jaune stumbled forward, gasping for air.

The air shimmered around him.

And then he slowly hopped to a halt and turned around, raising his pistol once again. He pulled the trigger, and the upper half of the Ursa's face was rendered to shreds by a Fire Dust round. The Grimm fell on its back and turned to smoke.

Pyrrha was so astounded, she forgot to recall her shield, and it ended up hitting Jaune on the back of his shoulder. He yelped and spun around to face her, his face a bizarre mix of disbelief, pride, and indignation.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you!" Pyrrha recalled her shield and put it on her back, then walked to Jaune and, almost scared that he would crumble into pieces, touched him on the arm. "Jaune… Since when do you have an Aura?"

"Huh?" Jaune eyed her suspiciously. "I don't. What are you talking about?"

"Jaune, you just shrugged off an Ursa's surprise attack. My shield didn't hurt you at all either. You aren't wearing any protective gear. Unless your skin is made of metal – and I would know – you have an Aura," Pyrrha said. "When did this happen?"

"I really don't know. Is right now too unlikely?" he gulped. "Or maybe when our plane crashed?"

"I would have noticed then," Pyrrha frowned. "This is very odd."

"But it's a good thing, right? I mean, now I can be useless on the field and _not_ die," Jaune smiled. "Some would say that's a fate worse than death, but I just consider myself lucky!"

Pyrrha allowed herself to relax, though she was still unsettled by the turn of events. When she'd unlocked her Aura, it had been a big moment. She could remember it vividly, as she had unlocked her Semblance at the same time – as it should be. For Jaune, as far as it appeared, it had just… happened.

"We should get up there. They probably need our help," Jaune said. "I hope everyone's alright…"

Pyrrha nodded, but as soon as she took a step forward, a deafening _boom_ came from somewhere behind them – and she and Jaune both fell to the ground as air started to rush into the hallway from the new massive hole in the hull of the Beaconship.

* * *

 Slaying Grimm was as stressful as Weiss had expected it to be. It was one thing to fight a robot or Torchwick. This was another matter altogether. The Grimm weren't called monsters for nothing. There was an innate, positively physical sense of evilness to them, a concept that, as a woman of science, Weiss would have been quick to dismiss. But confronted with it firsthand, she couldn't deny it – these things existed only to kill, and as such, there was no harm that was beyond them to inflict.

But she was learning. The Grimm packed a lot of power, and they were fairly resistant to most means of attacks, but if you knew just how and where to strike, they became that much simpler to dispose of. Weiss was finding great use in her conjured Dust rapier, and her glyphs were an optimal way of not only defending herself, but also keeping herself mobile in the battlefield – the Grimm had no sense of honor, so they did not care if she was already busy with a target, they would all pile on her if such was their whim.

Weiss was becoming so confident in her capabilities, in fact, that she had stopped going for the smaller creatures altogether, and only focusing on the bigger ones. Right now, she was preparing to strike down a giant snake that had been merrily trashing the jets stationed nearby, like a baby playing with toys. She didn't care how much property damage Beacon suffered, but she would rather have something to come back home on that wasn't a flying Beacon base.

She attracted the beast's attention by aiming an icy projectile at its head, and it did the job wonderfully. The snake slithered towards her, hissing, and thrust at her, jaw wide open. Weiss glided aside on a glyph, then boosted towards the Grimm, slashing with her rapier. To her dismay, the hide withstood her attack without any damage, and she had barely enough time to retreat before the snake enclosed its fangs around her.

Weiss came to a halt a safe distance from the Grimm, analyzing it carefully for any weakness. The creature's whole length was covered in the impenetrable hide, meaning the only spot in its body that she could do any harm to was… its eyes, or its mouth. As the snake uncoiled, its head rising high above her, and it widened its jaw again, her decision became incredibly obvious. She aimed her palm at the snake's head, channeling the Dust inside her into her glyph for one devastating release.

But her balance was suddenly gone, and she fell sideways, hitting her head – and only then did she notice it wasn't her that had fallen, but the whole ship had tilted nearly forty-five degrees to the right. Screams and roars rose all around as both people and Grimm collapsed and slid along the hangar. Weiss conjured a glyph on the floor and held onto it, slowly turning so that she was standing on it, her feet magnetized to the disk.

For a while, she could only wait and wonder what the hell had just happened, her heart racing wild. Then, slowly, the Beaconship righted itself – not completely, but enough that everyone and every _thing_ could stand upright again. Weiss wiped the sweat off her brow and sighed in relief…

" _HYAH!_ "

She nearly jumped out of her skin, startled by the sudden yell and appearance of Ruby Rose right in front of her. The redhead was holding her scythe out like she had just slashed at something, and rose petals were floating down all around them. Weiss opened her mouth, about to scold the girl for nearly causing her a heart attack, but then she noticed the snake head rolling on the floor behind Ruby, and the subsequent smoke that it became.

"Red Bolt, at your service," Ruby bowed mockingly. "Sorry. I saw you were about to be attacked, and I didn't look like you had noticed…"

"It's okay. But I _had_ noticed. I was only… waiting for the right opportunity to counter-attack," Weiss said haughtily. "Nonetheless, your help is appreciated."

" _Sure_ ," Ruby rested her scythe on her shoulder and looked around. "You have any idea what the heck just happened?"

"It would be too much to hope that it was only an accident," Weiss said. "And the Grimm don't seem to be ending either, which is the bigger problem at hand, I believe."

"Oh, yeah, that's the other reason I came over here," Ruby said, like she that was just an inconsequential detail to be forgotten. "You see those Nevermores? The big bird things? They're not doing that much fighting, they're mostly unloading the rest of the Grimm here. If we kill them… _bam!_ No more reinforcements."

"Hmm. That is remarkably sharp thinking for a thirteen-year-old," Weiss said. "I presume your plan doesn't end there?"

"No, there's more… And I'm sixteen. And three quarters!" Ruby noted. "Look over there. That Nevermore, it's hanging back, I can't get to it by myself… but if you boost me there, I can _katchin!_ it, and that's a lot less Grimm to work with already."

Weiss followed Ruby's direction and saw one of three Nevermores flying outside the edge of the hangar, watching, as if waiting its moment to swoop in and contribute once again. It wasn't moving that much, so it wasn't so unbelievable that the plan could work. But the ground beneath, or lack thereof…

"Are you sure about this?" Weiss asked. "If I miss, there's no way for me to rescue you. You'll plunge straight down, until you hit the earth, and… I don't have to explain that to you, do I?"

"Nope. But I trust you to aim true, Weiss!" Ruby said earnestly. "Besides, I'm the Red Bolt. Daring attacks like this are on the job description."

" _Right_ ," Weiss took a deep breath. "Let's do it, then."

With a flick of her wrist, Weiss conjured a glyph in front of her. Hesitantly, as if she thought it might swallow her whole, Ruby set one foot on it. Once she realized it was safe, she put her other foot, then wobbled back and forth and began to giggle.

"What in Remnant are you doing?" Weiss asked, exasperated.

"It's so weird and fun! Like standing on a spinning top, except you never fall off and it doesn't actually spin and yeah I guess it's not like a spinning top at all," Ruby clapped her hands. "How come you still walk places? I would glyph-surf everywhere if I had your powers."

"It's not _glyph-surfing_ , that's ridiculous!" Weiss exclaimed. "Can we focus on the job?"

"Oh, right," Ruby bent her knees, and Weiss noticed a few rose petals appear near her – but from where and how, she couldn't fathom. "Ready when you are, teammate!"

"God, I regret everything about today," Weiss turned the glyph so that Ruby was parallel to the ground. "Don't die, Red Dolt."

With a twist of her hand, Weiss shrank the glyph, and then with a thrust, sent Ruby flying towards the Nevermore. Her eyes could barely follow the redhead's trajectory. She was a blur, and the task was only made worse by the sheer number of petals that were popping into existence on her trail. For a second, Weiss lost track of her completely. And when Ruby was about to reach the Nevermore…

Nothing.

Weiss blinked. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? Was the Grimm being slow to fall? She hadn't missed, she knew it. She would have seen Ruby fall if that were the case. But that only made the situation more confusing.

Ruby was just… gone.

* * *

 Pyrrha stared at the hole in front of her, lost on what to do. She could tell they were falling – slowly, very slowly, but they were falling. It was only a matter of minutes before they hit the ground, and that would be catastrophic not only for the people on the Beaconship, but everything in the vicinity of the impact.

"This is crazy. This. Is. Crazy," Jaune said behind her, his hands on his head. "How is this happening? I can't believe it. We're gonna be pulverized."

"The southeast propulsion engine blew up, and it took a chunk of the ship with it," Pyrrha replied, keeping her voice in control, though inside she was almost as panicked as Jaune. "Maybe the Grimm got to it. Or one of the prisoners did it. Either way, that doesn't change much."

"Right?" Jaune laughed nervously. "Pyrrha, I know this is a very serious situation, but it just occurred to me that this is the second time this happens to us. If we survive this, I'm never flying with you again."

Pyrrha nodded, more to herself than to him. She was taking mental notes about their situation, and a plan was starting to take form inside her head, but she wary of getting her and Jaune's hopes up.

"I… I think they've recovered control of the ship. The other engines are being overworked to slow the fall," she said. "But there's no way to gain a perfect balance with an engine missing. If we can't stabilize, we can't land safely."

"Maybe we can evacuate?" Jaune groaned. "No. They must have already thought of that. With the Grimm on the hangar…"

"If we had some way to bring this side of the ship to balance with the rest… A force equivalent to the other engines…" Pyrrha shook her head. "Or maybe I'm thinking about this all wrong."

With a sigh, she kneeled and laid her hands on the floor. There were no other viable options left – not that this was that viable either, but it was better than nothing.

"I'm going to balance the Beaconship."

"Excuse me?" Jaune crouched beside her. "Pyrrha, are you crazy? I know you're strong and all and your Semblance is powerful, but even you can't do something like this!"

"Did I ever tell you about the time I stopped a speeding train?" Pyrrha grit her teeth. "It's not really that different, when you think about it."

"When I think about it, it's _completely_ different! A train's a train! The Beaconship is the freaking Beaconship!" Jaune exclaimed. "Seriously, Pyrrha, you're gonna get hurt badly – and I don't care if we're gonna crash anyways, I can't let you do that to yourself!"

"I'm touched, but… I've already made my decision."

Pyrrha closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of her Aura coursing around her body. She closed her hands into fists, and in a matter of seconds, became aware of all the metal that surrounded her – the Beaconship. In her mind's eye, she honed in on the section of the ship they were in, and brought her hands up, willing the metal to rise along with her movement.

The effort was like trying to lift a car – or, in her case, a hundred. Her whole body tensed up, muscles and bones screaming in protest, and a great bonfire ignited inside her skull. But past all the pain, she felt the Beaconship obey her will, and they were falling much slower now.

The moment didn't last. With a gasp, Pyrrha fell forward, losing her hold on her powers. A terrifying noise rang through the air as the Beaconship tilted once more, and began falling faster than it had ever before.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune called behind her, his voice full of dread. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm… I'm fine," Pyrrha struggled back to her knees, breathing hard. "I-it worked. I just need to… try harder…"

"If you try any harder, you're going to die, Pyrrha," Jaune said pleadingly.

Pyrrha turned to look at him. There was nothing she could say that would calm him down. Funnily enough, that didn't upset her. To the contrary – she found it quite heartwarming how much he cared for her. It would make for a good last memory.

"Alright. You know what, Pyrrha, you're impossible. You're worse than Weiss, congratulations," Jaune said, and suddenly, he didn't look desperate at all anymore. There was an unshakable resolution in his eyes as he looked at her and reached for her shoulder. "You wanna do this? Fine. We're doing this together. Doesn't matter what you say, I'm not moving from this spot."

"Jaune…" Pyrrha looked away. "Thank you."

His hand fell on her shoulder, and Pyrrha felt a new strength come to life inside her. She could do this. She was going to do this!

She activated her Semblance once again and connected with the ship, then lifted her arms like before. The Beaconship responded so fast, Pyrrha nearly let go, so surprised she was. The effort wasn't nearly as strenuous as before – in fact, she could still move and look around quite easily, like this was just a regular use of her Semblance.

Her Aura… why did it feel so strong?

"Holy…" Jaune said in shock. "You're really doing it. Way to go, Pyrrha!"

He let go of her, and Pyrrha nearly crumbled under the sudden strain of her Semblance. Gasping, she looked back at Jaune. "Jaune! Touch me again!"

For a split second, Jaune seemed very confused, but he was quick to obey her. As soon as his hand returned to her shoulder, Pyrrha felt her Aura return to its heightened state, and her hold on the Beaconship stabilized.

"Uh… I don't wanna make this weird, but…" Jaune swallowed dry. "You really feel that good when I touch you?"

"Jaune. Your Semblance," Pyrrha said, putting into words what her mind had realized in that brief moment of pain. "We are doing this together. Literally."

"We are?" Jaune's eyes widened. "That's… cool. Weird, but cool," he sighed. "Does that mean I'm still useless on my own?"

"I don't know about that," Pyrrha smiled. "I'm very glad you're with me right now, that's for sure."

Jaune stared contemplatively at her, then nodded and smiled in return. "Let's land this thing, shall we?"

* * *

 Blake rose to her feet, careful after the great impact that had shook the Beaconship. She had noticed they were descending even as she fought the Grimm, but they were stationary now – she could only assume they had landed safely somewhere, seeing as nothing was exploding or falling apart.

Gritting her teeth, she raised her borrowed Dust pistol, prepared to fight the Grimm again – but only to realize that all the monsters in the hangar were starting to retreat, either jumping off the ship onto the ground or mounting the Nevermores that had brought them in the first place. It was like a hivemind had commanded them all to escape, and as relieved as Blake was that she didn't have to face those nightmares anymore, she couldn't help but be worried about the strange turn of events.

"Seems like we're clear for now," Blake looked over her shoulder and saw Director Ozpin standing a little behind her, one hand holding a pistol low, the other pressed against his ears. "All agents online – terminate the Grimm before they escape. Use any means necessary. The situation must be contained. Commander Goodwitch, if you are listening, report to the Command Room."

He let go of his earpiece and looked at Blake.

"Miss Belladonna," he raised his hand and tapped the top of his head, then cocked his head significantly. "Thank you for standing with us. If you'll excuse me."

He turned and left, leaving Blake confused where she stood. Then a breeze passed by, and she felt a fuzzy sensation atop her head…

Blake's heart jumped to her throat, and she spun around, scouring the floor with her eyes in desperation. Had her bow fallen off during the skirmish? Or had Adam taken it off her and she hadn't noticed it until now? She could imagine how happy he would have been to do that. If she didn't find it soon…

She met eyes with Weiss, and they both froze where they stood. Blake noticed Weiss' gaze slowly rise to her ears, and felt a sting of shame and anger when the heiress recoiled, her hand shooting to the side like she was about to conjure something-

"Blake, have you seen Ruby?" Yang appeared at her side, appearing restless. "I've been looking for her, but…"

"No, I…" Blake forced her eyes away from Weiss. "She was here, wasn't she? Fighting the Grimm? I could have sworn…"

"I know. I saw her too, but now…" Yang's voice failed. "Weiss?"

Weiss approached her, and whatever she had been feeling a moment before was gone, replaced by face of… guilt? "I… She was here. We were working together to take down the Nevermores," she paused. "She… disappeared."

"What do you mean she disappeared?" Yang asked.

"I-I don't know. She was there one second, then gone the next," Weiss said shakenly. "I'm sorry, I just don't know."

Yang bowed her head, and Blake prepared to take action, sure that she was either going to attack Weiss or break down right in front of them. Fortunately – or not – Yang didn't either of those. Without saying a word, she stormed away, to where Blake didn't know, and she had a feeling she wouldn't get an answer even if she followed her.

Blake looked back at Weiss apprehensively, but the heiress seemed to have either forgotten about what she had seen, or she was ignoring the matter for now. Taking her luck where she found it, Blake left, more than happy to avoid that confrontation.

She was very aware, of course, that her fortune would not last much longer.

* * *

 "Are you kidding me? Could you be _any_ slower? You almost dropped the freaking thing – we could have died, you idiot!"

"Shut up, Emerald! It's not my fault this bird is so – goddamn – _stupid_!"

Glynda turned the doorknob and stormed inside the room, rising her Dust rifle in advance of what she knew awaited her.

Of course, she wasn't _entirely_ unsurprised. She hadn't expected to find a giant Griffon Grimm alongside the escaping Mercury Black and his female accomplice. She also never would have never imagined they would be strapping the Schnee Dust Core to the winged monsters back.

"Freeze!"

Maybe, Glynda thought, she had bitten off more than she could chew.

"Well isn't this an unpleasant surprise," Mercury said, walking so he was between her and the Grimm. "I don't think this is a coincidence, right? You're a pain the ass, but you're clever, aren't you?"

"Thank you, I am flattered," Glynda replied, never lowering her aim. "I figured the attack was a distraction. Fall knows there is little to gain from destroying the Beaconship."

She walked a little to the side so she could see past the Griffon. Like she'd thought, the engine's explosion had reached this part of the ship, and part of the wall in this room wasn't there anymore, leaving a very conveniently-sized hole to the outside.

"So, your objective was to make away with the Dust Core. That still leaves a lot of questions, mainly why you let us capture you in the first place," she said. "No matter. We will have plenty of time to talk about it once you're back in your cell."

"Oh, you think we're just gonna surrender to you? Damn. Maybe you're not so smart after all," Mercury looked at his accomplice, fixing the final straps around the Core. "Shall I do the honors, or do you want to have some fun with her?"

"There's no time for that, you imbecile," Emerald said. "Leave her to our little friend."

Glynda opened her mouth to ask what that meant, but a sharp pain erupted on the small of her back and she fell forward, losing her grip on her rifle. Acting on instinct, she rolled aside, just in time to avoid having her face smashed in by an Ursa' claw.

She tried to reach for her rifle, but the Ursa advanced on her, snapping its jaw and swinging its claw her way, forcing her to crawl backwards. She heard the flapping of wings and caught the Griffon flying away in the corner of her vision, but there was nothing she could do to stop it from leaving.

Her back hit a wall, and she could do nothing but stare tempestuously at the Ursa as it stood over her, poised to strike. So this was how she died. Not in a blaze of glory. Not at the end of her days, rested and at peace with herself. Just… here.

She had made a good run of it, at least.

The Ursa roared and brought its claw down. Glynda braced herself, determined not to yell. But the pain never came. The Grimm's arm hovered inches from her face, held back by something… something spinning around it – a thousand tiny red things, carrying a fragrance not at all unfamiliar to her.

The Ursa's feet screeched against the floor as it was dragged back forcefully, and it howled and whined in confusion and anger. Then the petals shot away from around it, only to rejoin right behind it, coalescing into a miniature tornado, and then…

A blade cut clean through the monster's torso, severing it into two. The smoke came and dissipated, leaving Glynda breathing hard on the floor, staring up at her savior.

"Miss Goodwitch. I am freaking. Out."

And with that said, Ruby promptly dropped her scythe and passed out.


	6. The Girl That Was Lost

Glynda walked into the Director's room aboard the Beaconship, leaning on her crutches for support. Morning daylight filtered in through a closed window, immersing the room in an ethereal glow. The Director was looking through the window, his back turned to her, but she had known him long enough to tell what expression he must be wearing right now. Leadership was a heavy burden, especially during such dire days, when even a man as strong as Ozpin was bound to feel overwhelmed by it.

"Glynda," he said, not turning around. "Good to see you on your feet again."

"Not exactly," Glynda looked down at her crutches. "I can't remember the last time I had to use these."

"The memory escapes me too, I'm afraid," he stepped back and pushed the window open, letting in some fresh air. "You are well, then? I was under the assumption that you were to be kept under the doctors' watch for much longer."

"If you are worried, you should have ordered them to keep me. You know I am not going to rest while we still have matters to deal with," she said. "The pain is little, anyway. Nothing that won't heal. But if Ruby hadn't come to my rescue…"

"Yes. I would say you were lucky that she intervened, but that would be a disservice to you both, wouldn't it? You've forged a connection between the two of you, haven't you, Glynda? By design, or by accident…" Ozpin chuckled. "The girl cares for you greatly."

Glynda pursed her lips. Ozpin's ability to read her was frustratingly accurate sometimes – always, it felt like – but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of proving him right.

"Speaking of agent Rose, how is she?" Ozpin turned around finally, and Glynda saw he had his cane on his hands. That wasn't unusual, except for the way his fingers kept rubbing against the top of it, as if he were taken by nervousness, or something close to that. Not for the first time, Glynda wished she could read him as well as he could her.

"She's fine. It was just a scare," Glynda said. "I don't blame her. If I was surprised by what she did, I can only imagine how she felt."

"Indeed. I had my suspicions beforehand, but…" he trailed off. "I doubt you came here to discuss agent Rose. You want to be caught up to everything you missed during your stay at the infirmary."

"Like I said, I don't plan to rest anytime soon. We have a job to do," she nodded. "The fact that we're still in one piece tells me we landed the Beaconship safely."

"With the help of agents Nikos and Arc, yes," Ozpin said. "We suspect Adam Taurus was behind the engine explosion. He must have fled the scene after that, as we found no trace of him alive or dead anywhere nearby," he paused. "Miss Belladonna and Miss Xiao Long had a confrontation with him beforehand, and he revealed something quite troubling…"

He took out his Scroll and showed it to her. On the screen was a rusted metal sphere, parted slightly in the middle. There were traces of singe all over it, like it had been exposed to a great fire or electrical current.

"That device opened a Grimm portal in the middle of our ship," Ozpin said. "That, we presume, is where the Grimm that attacked you came from. Luckily, it deactivated quickly and little harm came of it. Seems to better suited for a distraction than a full-blown attack."

"Unbelievable. To summon Grimm at will… Fall has more tricks up her sleeve than we accounted for," Glynda said. "Do you think she manufactured that?"

"I wouldn't put it past her. I've got a team analyzing the device, we should have more answers soon," Ozpin pocketed his Scroll. "The Dust Core was stolen, as you already know. We identified Mercury Black's partner-in-crime – one Emerald Sustrai. Her Semblance seems to be mind-altering, though to what degree we have yet to determine. It did quite a number on agent Nikos, though she recovered well."

"And we've never encountered her before? Someone with such a powerful ability?" Glynda asked, mystified. She would have remembered encountering someone like that, surely.

"We identified her through facial recognition. Last sighted some five years ago, living as a beggar in Mistral. How she came to be affiliated with Fall must be quite the story, though I doubt it's any heartwarming," Ozpin said. "You must have come to the same conclusion as me already, regarding the Core?"

"That it makes no sense that they would let themselves be captured trying to steal it in the first place, only to launch an assault against us as a distraction to _then_ escape with the Core for good," Glynda crossed her arms. "My guess is, it was double distraction. Split our attention between protecting the Core _and_ the ship, while their true objective was achieved."

"Torchwick disappeared during the chaos, and along with him, a huge chunk of the Beaconship's database. The most sensitive information we've accumulated over the years, gone – _stolen_ ," Ozpin smiled dryly. "Cinder hasn't forgotten – information is the most valuable resource in the world. In her hands… I shudder to think what use she will make of it."

"Nothing that we cannot stop," Glynda said firmly. "Do we have any idea what she plans to do?"

"There's a hundred and more possibilities, and it's hard to tell which one is worse."

Glynda shook her head. The situation was difficult, but it was very unlike the Director to act this way, like they had already been defeated. There was something in his eyes that she could now see clear as day – guilt.

"Ozpin, none of this is your fault," she said. "Fall has been three steps ahead of us from the beginning, and we've had no time to catch up to her. There was nothing to be done but prepare for the worst. And look at us now. We're still standing, and ready to fight back."

"That's an admirable position to take, Glynda," Ozpin tapped the top of his cane once, then let it rest easily against his leg. "But are you so sure I am not to blame? Don't you think I could have done… more?"

"Frankly, Director, the fact that I doubt you constantly is the only reason you've held your position for three decades. If I weren't here, you would have crumbled a long time ago. It's not your fault, of course – I wouldn't be able to handle being the Director for a single year, much less without someone to support me," Glynda said. "My point is, I doubt you, but not when it comes to matters like these. Remember how I felt about the Initiative when we started? And how I feel now?"

For a moment, Ozpin was silent, his eyes gazing across the room as if he were seeing another world altogether. Then, with a twirl of his cane, he stood up straighter and patted Glynda on the shoulder.

"You've always seen the best in me. Thank you, Glynda. You are an inspiration, more than you realize," he said. "Let us look to the future, then. Gather the team again. I'm sure some of them must be in great want of some answers," he sighed. "It's time to set things straight."

"Set things straight…?" Glynda frowned. "Are you sure, Director? Now, of all times? The risk is too great now. Perhaps if we waited until we have Fall in custody…"

"You're not wrong," Ozpin walked to the door. "But I'm choosing to see the best in them."

* * *

 It was hard to calm down and slow your breathing when you couldn't breathe at all, because you had no nose, or mouth, or lungs… or anything at all. It was even harder to wrap her – inexistent – head around the fact that she could still _see_ things… without eyes, and feel things like heat or cold… without skin.

Everything about this was supposed to be impossible. But then again… her life hadn't been what one would call normal for a long time now.

Ruby's petals coalesced into a tight formation, and a moment later, she returned to her normal, physical self. The change was accompanied by an almost comical _pop!_ , and she nearly fell over herself trying to steady her feet on the floor of the infirmary.

"Gosh, you… can't tell me that doesn't feel weird," Yang said, sitting on a bench opposite her. "It feels weird, right?"

"It's… an experience," Ruby said. Why were their voices so strange? "Wait, I think I've got something in my ear," she beat the side of her head, and a rose petal shot out of her left ear. "Ah, much better."

"Okay, that's officially the weirdest thing I've ever witnessed in my life," Yang rubbed her eyes, as if to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "You're not missing any parts, are you?"

"What? No, I'm completely whole," Ruby said. A moment later, she jumped onto one foot and covered her mouth, her eyes going wide. " _Yang_! Why would you say that?! Now I'm gonna cry if I ever gotta do this again! What if I end up losing a leg?"

"Well you haven't lost anything so far!" Yang crossed her fingers and made a half-hearted attempt of a smile. "Here's hoping the luck sticks?"

Ruby shuddered, sitting down on her infirmary bed. She was still processing this latest development of hers, and while doing so was much easier when the Beaconship wasn't being attacked by Grimm and her boss wasn't in mortal danger, there were a lot of questions she kept asking herself. Adding the possibility of losing a limb to the list wasn't helping at all.

But as strange as this was, she realized she had almost certainly known something like this was going to happen eventually. Her Semblance had always felt weird, like there was potential in it that she wasn't able to tap… until now. But never in a million years would she have guessed its evolution would be like this.

It did explain why she made petals when she ran, though.

Kinda.

"But seriously, sis," Yang said, getting up and approaching her. "I'm glad you're okay. I was so scared when you disappeared back there. I thought…" she shook her head and wrapped her arms around Ruby. "I'm not leaving your side ever again, you hear me?"

"I'm not a baby…" Ruby mumbled. It was hard to act tough when her sister's embrace was so comforting. "Thanks, Yang."

"I mean it. Fully," Yang stepped back. "Soon as this is over, we're going back to Patch. Together."

"You mean… you're gonna come back home?" Ruby started to get up to hug Yang again, but she was gently pushed back onto the bed.

"Now, now, that's not what I said," Yang lifted her chin proudly. "Don't get overexcited. I'm _visiting_. And if Dad tries to serve us his Special Soufflé…" she grimaced, "…I'm backing out immediately."

"Okay, that's fair," Ruby said. "If it happens, can I come with? Maybe it's time for _me_ to be the rebellious daughter and run away!"

"Hey! It's not that simple!" Yang groaned. "I'm a terrible influence on you…"

Ruby was about to say she was wrong, but a beep from her Scroll stopped her. "Oh. Looks like we're having another meeting in the Command Room," she smiled at Yang. "You think this is gonna be as fun as the other one?"

Yang gave her a look like she was about to tell her that the dog had run out onto the street and was not going to be coming back any time soon.

Ruby got the message.

* * *

 The atmosphere in the Command Room was heavy. Weiss was the first to arrive, like she had already been expecting the meeting to happen and waiting for it. Despite that, she didn't look happy at all to be there. And that set the mood for everyone else – even Jaune, who had been excited to share the news about his Semblance, refrained from speaking much.

The last to arrive was Blake, and her demeanor told that she could very well leave any time. Her bow was back, but that only made it more uncomfortable when she crossed eyes with Weiss. Neither of them said a thing, but it was clear that the slightest attrition between them would spark a heated discussion.

Director Ozpin stopped that before it could happen, drawing everyone's attention as they sat down around the table. It was him, Commander Goodwitch, and the team in the Command Room – he didn't need for anyone else to hear what was about to be discussed.

"Ladies. Gentleman. I am… glad to see you're all unharmed after the events of yesterday," he said. "I'd be remiss not to thank you for your swift action. When all seemed lost, you rose to the occasion. Agent Nikos, agent Arc, you saved many lives. So did you, agent Rose, Miss Xiao-"

"Excuse me. Can we maybe cut to the chase?" Weiss interrupted. "I don't mean to be rude. I'm also thankful that we're all alive today, of course…" she crossed her arms. "But none of us are here to be thanked. Or so I assume. I'm here for answers. _Real_ answers."

"Don't let this get to your head, but I'm with Weiss here," Yang said. "We kinda almost died, so I'm down for learning what's actually going on."

"Yes, exactly," Weiss nodded. "Thank you for putting it so eloquently."

Ozpin looked at Glynda. She cocked an eyebrow at him, and that was the most support she had to offer.

"Well, I don't think we're going to have any problems, then. I gathered us here exactly so we could have an honest conversation," he said. "Ask your questions. I solemnly promise to answer to the best of my abilities."

"That's not much of a promise," Weiss grumbled.

"Uhm… do we have any idea why we were attacked?" Ruby asked. "I mean, it was all pretty bad, but if Cinder wanted us dead…"

"She would likely have gotten her wish, yes," Ozpin said. "It seems the Beaconship's destruction, and consequently our demise, was merely a hopeful side-product of her main goals. Firstly, she wanted the Schnee Dust Core. Secondly, she wanted something from our database – top-secret information that, unfortunately, we've yet to pinpoint."

"And she got both," Pyrrha frowned. "What's next? Do we have any leads?"

Ozpin raised his hands helplessly. A loud scoff came from Weiss, and Yang followed suit, linking her fingers behind her head and smiling derisively.

"So we've got no idea why Cinder took those things," Jaune said, sinking in his seat. "I mean, that's not _terrible_ , right? We didn't know how she was gonna attack us before, and we're still alive!"

"Jaune, I'm with you on principle, but I don't think that's the standard for success we wanna set for ourselves," Ruby sighed. "There's got to be some way to figure her plan out, right? Like, what could she do with the Core?"

"I've already said, the Dust Core is like any other energy source, she could do practically anything with it," Weiss said. "It's like asking what you could do with a car battery. You could power a car. _Or_ you could power an espresso machine. _Or_ you could make a bomb with it."

"You could throw it at someone's face," Yang noted. "That would be pretty deadly too."

"In the vast scheme of things, I think we would be lucky if Cinder just threw the Core at someone's face," Jaune said. "As long as it isn't mine, of course."

"I think…" Blake spoke up, leaning forward on her chair, her eyes set on the Director, "…it would help us greatly if we knew who Cinder Fall is."

Everyone's stare turned to Ozpin again. He didn't reply for a while, tossing his cane mindlessly from one hand to the other. The room had never felt more silent.

"Cinder Fall… was once an agent of Beacon."

* * *

 She took out the flash drive and eyed it, wishing cracking it had been more satisfying that it actually was. It was funny, for an intelligence agency as big as Beacon, they were rather lacking when it came to security. She had so easily bypassed their defenses and gotten what she wanted, she was almost disappointed.

But, then again, she had been trained by the best in the world.

She took a moment for herself before leaving. After all, she was holding the future of all mankind in her hands. The power to decide the fate of Remnant, and she was its sole wielder…

There was, maybe, a bit of hesitation, something she had buried deep inside her years ago. She had forgotten all about it, but for the briefest instant, it returned to her, and she considered if this really was the best path forward.

The feeling faded as fast as it emerged, and as she set the stage for her next move, Cinder couldn't help but smile at her own brilliance.

* * *

 "Cinder was just a child when we recruited her. She hadn't lived long yet, but what she had experienced wasn't pretty, and it ended in the worst way possible. But there was a silver lining – that… tragedy, as horrible as it was, was also the opening to a better life for her. Or it would have been, had Cinder been anyone else."

"Cinder Fall is, like all of you, special, and she has been that way for as long as I've known her. Her powers made it so she would never fit in with other children, and, I imagine, with any other parents. But there was a home for her at Beacon, so we took her in. _I_ took her in."

"We trained her. Taught her to use her powers. Gave her the foundations to become one of our greatest agents, and as she grew up, that's what she started to become. Cinder was a prodigy like none other, and I couldn't be happier about it."

"That's where I was a fool. I was blinded by her worth as an agent, by what she meant for our future, and I missed the signs. I didn't realize that she would have been better off without Beacon in her life until it was too late. She turned on us, left many good agents dead in her wake, and disappeared for almost a decade."

"She hates Beacon with every fiber of her being. Most of all, she hates me. That… is who Cinder Fall is."

The room was silent as everyone took in what they'd just heard.

Ruby didn't know what to feel. There was so much going through her head as she mentally parsed through the Director's words, she could barely keep up with herself.

Everything Cinder had said to her when they'd fought made a lot more sense now. She had told Ruby she was being kept in the dark, and that had turned out to be true. That Ozpin had promised her she could be a hero and save the world from monsters, but the distinction between the two wasn't so clear anymore. How had she been so blind, never questioned any of this before? Why hadn't she-

Ruby stopped herself. What was she doing, giving Cinder Fall's words any mind? Feeling _sorry_ for her? Whatever Beacon had done to Cinder, it would never justify her actions. She was the monster in this story. That was undeniable.

"Well, I don't know about any of you, but I am quite disappointed in myself," Weiss broke the silence, her voice sharp as a blade. "I should have seen this coming. It was right front of our faces all along," she got up, smiling contemptuously at Ozpin. "A simple _terrorist_. As if. This whole mess was your fault from the very beginning, and you were too ashamed to admit it. Now, you want to use us to clean it up for you."

"I've made my intentions clear from the start, Miss Schnee. I don't want to use you in any way. You're all here today because I needed your help, and still do," Ozpin said. "Believe me, if I had the power to stop Cinder Fall on my own, I would not have involved any of you in this."

"Sure. And I am supposed to forget that you've been planning this _initiative_ of yours for how many years now?" Weiss scoffed. Her eyes turned to Commander Goodwitch. "I was right all along, wasn't I? All you do is use people. You're trying to make me – all of us – your little superpowered soldiers, because you didn't learn your lesson with Cinder, did you?"

Goodwitch sighed. "Miss Schnee, I would ask you to calm-"

"No! This is all a farce!" Weiss gestured at the people around the table. "Take a look at what you have here! You've got children," she pointed at Ruby, "…brainless idiots," then at Jaune, "and _terrorists_ as your 'recruits'. I am done being part of this!"

"Hey, I'm not a child," Ruby muttered. "How many times do I have to say I'm sixteen and-"

"Did you just call me a terrorist?" Blake stood up suddenly.

"I'm sorry, does anyone else fit the bill? No?" Weiss glared at her. "Yes, I just did that. But do forgive me if I'm misinterpreting things – after all, there _must_ be another explanation why Ruby found you at a White Fang base – and why you use that bow to hide who you really are – and I'm _sure_ Adam Taurus escaping _right_ when you were visiting him in his cell was just a coincidence."

"That's – that's absurd!" Blake exclaimed. "You don't know a thing about me!"

"And whose fault is that? I tried to talk to you before, and you _fled the conversation_ , quite literally," Weiss said. She pushed her chair away with her foot and raised her hands. "Whatever. I've said my piece – I'm done with all of this. To those who stay, good luck, but I'm hoping you'll be smarter than that."

She started walking towards the exit, but Blake turned around and grabbed her wrist.

"I am _just_ as pissed off as you about all of this," she said through gritted teeth. "But I am not going to throw a hissy fit and walk away, because unlike you, I can't afford to do that. If you have half the grace you Schnees are so proud of, you're going to sit back down and discuss things like adults."

"First off, unhand me," Weiss said coldly. Blake didn't move.

"Come on, Blake," Yang said. "Things are bad enough already."

With a deep breath, Blake released Weiss' wrist. The heiress turned around to face her, her eyes wavering with anger.

"Your people have been tearing at my family for years now. By refusing to work with you, I am not _throwing a hissy fit_. I'm looking out for myself," she said. "That's really as far as it goes. I don't have anything against you in particular."

" _My people_ ," Blake shook her head in exasperation. "So you're a racist. No surprise there."

"Your people, as in, _the White Fang_. Because you've yet to disprove your connection to them," Weiss said. "For someone so easily offended, you sure are quick to make assumptions about people," she stared at Blake for a moment, waiting for a response, then stepped back. "If that's all, I am leaving. Don't follow me."

Weiss turned and exited the Command Room. Blake stood still for a moment, before leaving for a hallway deeper into the Beaconship and disappearing.

"I'm following Weiss," Ruby said, getting up.

"Ruby, her exact words were _don't follow me_ ," Yang noted. "You're gonna get yelled at. Or turned into an ice sculpture. Probably both."

"Okay, that's a good point, but we can't just let her go like that!"

"I mean…" Yang bit her lip. "Can't we…?"

Ruby looked at her disapprovingly, then went after Weiss. Yang rubbed her forehead tiredly. She wasn't sure what was worse anymore – that their enemy was a former Beacon agent, or that two of her teammates had almost gotten into a physical fight just now.

"Sir," Jaune spoke, looking at Director Ozpin, who had remained quiet through the altercation. "How old was she when you recruited her?"

"Cinder?" the Director shook his head. "Seven."

Jaune looked at Pyrrha, but her eyes were glued to the table before her. Nonetheless, he was sure she had heard. Her lack of reaction was what worried him.

* * *

 So this was Vale. Streets overcrowded with people, humans and faunus alike, an uniform mass of revoltingly different individuals. Billboards that flashed vapid advertisements and messages of good faith and idealism. Smoke from thousands of vehicles filled the air, never allowing a clear view of the sky.

Adam had never considered himself very patriotic. In fact, he had plenty of serious problems with his homeland of Vacuo. But he would give almost anything to go back now. Vale was everything he had heard and more, and he despised it.

He could deal with his predicament quite well, however, knowing what would be befalling the city in mere hours. What he and his… allies, had planned for it. Every hardship he had endured these last days was made worthwhile with that knowledge.

"Not liking the view, partner?"

Adam turned his head just enough to see Roman Torchwick stop beside him, leaning against the windowsill to look down at the busy streets. The thief's cane was lying against a wall nearby. He never let it out of his sight for long, Adam had noticed. A lesson learned from decades of the dirty work Torchwick specialized in, perhaps. Or maybe the man just really liked his accessories.

Adam wasn't fond of Torchwick, and he definitely didn't agree to being called partner by the likes of him. But he didn't say any of that. He'd rather ignore the idiot in the hopes of being left alone, though he very much doubted that would happen.

"Yeah, I get it. It isn't the prettiest of places, I'll give you that. But damn me if it doesn't make for a good home for a couple months every once in a while," Torchwick said. "Some of my greatest moments happened in this city. Got my start here, did you know that? Got recruited for a quick heist job when I was a little fella, and it was all uphill from there…" he snickered. "Or downhill, if you subscribe to the _honest_ way of life. But you're not like that, are you, partner?"

"I suppose not," Adam replied steely. "But you and I couldn't be less alike, _partner_."

"Now why would you say that? We're cut from the same fabric, my friend, there's no use in being picky about it," Torchwick said. "The only difference between us is I do what I do for myself, and you… well, you also do it for yourself, but you get what I mean."

"I'm afraid I don't, actually. Doesn't mean I want to listen to your explanation."

Torchwick shrugged. He looked down at the street again, then chuckled and turned around to face him.

"You know, I was always favorable to your kind," he said. "Don't really get the hate folk throw your way. You're all very useful, for the most part. Just like humans, I suppose. Usefulness ain't got nothing to do with race."

"That's what it's all about to you. If someone's not useful, they might as well not exist," Adam said. "I can see why you're so successful in your line of work."

"Again, you cannot tell me we are any different in that aspect," Torchwick pointed out. "Hell, if you're gonna judge someone, don't let it be me. Just look around. Our mutual friend is the queen of that philosophy."

Adam kept his eyes focused on the street. He didn't want to show it, but he couldn't help but agree with Torchwick on that point. Cinder Fall… He hadn't let himself drop his guard since she had roped him into his mess, and he would keep it up until they were _far_ away from each other.

"You know, these people down there… You've got them really riled up," Torchwick said. "I had the pleasure of catching a few seconds of TV earlier. You wouldn't believe the things they are saying about you and your White Fang compatriots… not to mention your people in general. Apparently, tensions are high, even here in quaint, progressive Vale," he grinned. "Is that what you wanted, partner?"

"You know me so well, you shouldn't need me to answer that," Adam glared at him. "Do you have anything useful to say, or are you going to leave me alone?"

"Sorry. It's just been on my mind…" Torchwick said. "You got what you wanted. I wonder if the boss-lady already got what she wanted from you, too."

He tipped his hat, then made to exit the room, grabbing his cane on the way.

"Hey. _Partner_ ," Adam turned around. "You're so clever… Have you figured out what she wanted from you, then?"

"Afraid not," Torchwick spun his cane so it rested on his shoulder. Adam didn't fail to notice his knuckles had turned white around it. "And I ain't looking forward to finding out, either. But I didn't get where I am today by stumbling around blindly," he winked. "I am always prepared."

* * *

 The fabric between her fingers felt so soft. How such a fragile thing had become so important to her, Blake could only wonder. She had never meant to become attached to it – the bow was only meant to protect her from unwanted attention, to give her a new chance at a different, much gentler life.

Only that hadn't even come close to happening, and it was all her fault. She had left the White Fang behind only to devote every day to fighting it. She had never abandoned the violence, after all. She was still the same Blake of four years ago.

So why did the bow mean so much to her? Ears hidden or at show, it was all the same. Her identity was written on her face. The only person she had fooled was herself.

Maybe that was the point. She wasn't proud of it, but that was the answer.

Blake wrapped the bow around her ears once again. She hung her pistol on the side of her belt and flexed her arms above her head, holding back a groan at the feeling of her aching muscles. She was tired, angry, and most of all, confused. But that wasn't new. This was just another day in the life of Blake Belladonna.

A knock behind her made her turn around. Pyrrha was leaning against the doorway of the guest room, having substituted her Beacon uniform for her metallic armor-like suit. Blake lowered her eyes. So long had passed, but she still felt a little awkward around Pyrrha. She knew it was silly – but there were some things time couldn't make away with.

"You're not leaving, are you?" Pyrrha asked.

"I thought about it," Blake admitted. "But I'm not going through with it."

"Good. I never thought you would," Pyrrha said. "I would understand, of course… You haven't had a good time here, to put it mildly."

"Since when have I done anything to have a good time, Pyrrha?" Blake grinned. "Besides, no one's happy about what's been happening. I have no ground to back out when there's still a fight to be had."

"Weiss backed out. No one would think badly of you if you did the same."

Blake shook her head. "Please, Pyrrha. You know that's not true."

Pyrrha didn't look happy at her response, but she didn't argue against it. They both knew there was a lot more keeping Blake here than just her conscience.

"I won't bother asking if _you_ are backing out," Blake said. "But haven't you at least thought about it?"

"No," Pyrrha frowned. "Why would I ever do that?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Pyrrha. I saw how quiet you were during the briefing," Blake said. "Murderous tendencies aside, your story and Cinder's are the same. If that doesn't disturb you, well… I would be a little worried, to be honest."

Pyrrha moved from the doorway, now standing tall with a deadly serious expression on her face. Blake recognized the look from the years ago – Pyrrha Nikos the proud Beacon agent, not Pyrrha Nikos the girl. It had only become more formidable with age.

"Beacon is my home. Director Ozpin, Commander Goodwitch – so many good people – they are my family. My life isn't perfect, and it certainly isn't for everybody, but I wouldn't trade it for any other," Pyrrha said. "I'm not Cinder Fall."

"I didn't say you were. It's just…" Blake stopped herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

"You did. But it's okay. I get it," Pyrrha smiled at her, and Blake couldn't quite tell if it was forced. "Thanks for worrying, Blake."

Blake nodded mutely. She could never be sure with Pyrrha's superb self-control, but she almost looked furious. The anger wasn't exactly directed at Blake, but at something else entirely, and she just happened to be the first person to tap that well of emotion in her.

Not for the first time, Blake was very glad she was friends with Pyrrha, rather than the alternative.

"How about the rest of the team?" Blake asked. "Anyone we should be worried about?"

"Well, Yang is on board with anything as long as Ruby is too, I think. Jaune… I'm not sure how he's feeling, but he's not the type to shirk from this kind of thing," Pyrrha said. "Weiss… She didn't come back after she left. And Ruby followed her."

"Wait, what? Ruby's leaving?"

"No. Not at all…"

* * *

 "I said _don't follow me_! What part of it did you not get?!"

Weiss dismissed Ruby with a wave of her hand before she could even get started with an explanation, and picked up her steps away from the Beaconship. There was no paved ground or road on the field they had landed in, which made walking very difficult, and anything more than that even worse, but that didn't deter her. The more distance between her and Beacon, the better.

"Come on, Weiss!" Ruby shouted, matching her speed effortlessly. Weiss grit her teeth in frustration – there was nothing more annoying that knowing that, no matter how fast she ran, Ruby would always catch up to her. "You can't just leave like this!"

"Yes, I can!" Weiss shot back, glaring at the girl. "If you watch carefully, you'll notice that's exactly what I am doing this very second!"

"That's not the point, and you know it!" Ruby grabbed her arm. "We have to work together if we want to stop Cinder! Come on, it's not too late to turn back!"

"You're not wrong," Weiss stopped. "But I'm past the point of caring, Ruby Rose."

She pried Ruby's fingers from around her arm, then pushed the girl away with a hastily-conjured glyph. Weiss steeled herself, prepared to repel Ruby once again, sure that she would return to her, begging tirelessly, as soon as her feet hit the ground.

But Ruby didn't move an inch. Instead, she closed her hands into fists and set a piercing glare upon Weiss. For a moment, the heiress stood frozen under the intensity of those silver eyes. She had thought Ruby incapable of showing emotion like that. Clearly, she had been wrong.

"You know what, Weiss? I get it now, why people say you should never meet your idols," Ruby said. "I thought you were just grumpy or stressed or whatever when I met you, but you're just mean and arrogant and… and… you're just the worst!"

Weiss bit back a retort. It would be so easy to engage in an argument with Ruby, but she had more productive ways to spend her time. "Is that all? Or do you have anything more to say? Because I have places to be, I'm afraid, and so do you."

"You – you stop it with that!" Ruby groaned. "You're always doing that."

"Excuse me?" Weiss blinked. "Doing _what_?"

"You're… you're deflecting! You do that every time someone confronts you with anything. It's so annoying!" Ruby replied. "How can anyone have a real conversation with you if you're just going to dismiss everything they say and act like you're better than everyone else?"

"I don't know, Ruby. But it's not a problem in _my_ eyes. You're the one who's chasing me, not the other way around," Weiss said. "If I'm such a terrible person, all you have to do is turn around and leave. There, problem solved!"

"You know what? Maybe I'll do that just that!"

"Excellent! Finally something we can agree on."

"Yes, I'm going right now!"

"Good!"

" _Good_!"

Ruby turned around, her cape blowing against Weiss' face for a moment, then started stomping back towards the Beaconship.

Weiss crossed her arms, watching the redhead go with a harsh expression on her face. She was glad Ruby was gone. Now she could get away from these people for good, call a company pilot to take her to the nearest SDC branch, and get to work on her own, as she should have done from the beginning.

…So why wasn't she doing that right now? What was taking her so long?

Kicking herself mentally, Weiss swallowed her pride and brought her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. "Wait! Ruby!"

She saw Ruby turn around, and a few seconds later, she was back. Ruby still looked decidedly upset, but there was a patience behind her anger still, like she was still willing to listen to Weiss despite everything. Why else would she have come back? It was a trait to admire, but it also doubled Weiss' belief that they could never work well together.

"Yes?" Ruby tapped her foot pointedly.

"I…" Weiss pursed her lips. She was ashamed how difficult it was for her to put her habits aside and speak plainly. And she said Ruby was a child… "I'm _sorry_."

"…Okay?" Ruby cocked her head. "What for?"

"What do you mean what-" Weiss stopped herself. There she was again, being her abrasive self. "You are right. I've been terrible. I am, more often than I like to admit, a terrible person. I've tried to give you and the others the benefit of the doubt, seeing as we're all on the same boat here, really, but it's obvious I did a lousy job at that," Weiss paused. "You're all just doing what you think is best, and I do believe you're most probably right. I'm sorry for giving you all a hard time."

"Okay. Apologies accepted," Ruby smiled at her. "I'm sure everyone's gonna react the same way once you tell them."

"Oh, no. I'm apologizing, but I have no intention of going back," Weiss said. "If you could relay my words to your team, I'd be grateful. To Blake in particular, I didn't like how I left things off with her."

Ruby stared at her, dumbfounded. Slowly, however, her expression turned to anger once again, except this time it seemed even worse. Weiss swayed on her feet nervously, not knowing what to expect next.

" _Why_ wouldn't you come back?" Ruby asked. "Is it because Cinder was Beacon? Because I don't think that matters very much right now! She's evil and wants to blow up Remnant or something, I couldn't care if Director Ozpin kicks puppies on the daily!" she blinked. "I mean, I _would_ care, but only after the world's not blown up."

"That's not it. Yes, I don't like Beacon at all at the moment – if I ever _was_ favorable to them – but I agree with your sentiment, Cinder's the bigger problem right now," Weiss said. "That's why I'm going away to work on my own. I think I might be able to track down the Dust Core using company resources, and…"

"And then what? You're gonna fight her all on your own? Cinder and all her friends?" Ruby clucked her tongue. "If you think you can do that, Weiss, you're even more arrogant than I thought."

"Well, no. I hadn't thought about it, but now that you mention it, perhaps I'll just pass the information along to your team once I get it," Weiss responded hesitantly. "That seems like a good plan, doesn't it?"

"No! It's terrible! Absolutely awful!" Ruby exclaimed. "If you wanna stop Cinder, you might as well stay with us. What's the point of going away if you're still gonna rely on us to finish the job? You could help so much more if we stay together!"

"I'm just… I'm not a good team player, Ruby. Just ask Jaune. I'm always saying he's useless, but I'm the one who screws things up constantly, _very badly_ ," Weiss said bitterly. "Look at what I've done just the past twenty-four hours. I almost tore the team apart. I gave Cinder the means to do whatever horrible thing she's planning. Not to mention when we fought together, you almost _died_ ," she shook her head. "I'm not sticking around to find out what happens next. I'm quitting while I'm ahead."

Ruby stared at her. Blinked once. Twice. Bit her lip, deep in thought. Then without warning, grabbed Weiss by the wrist and began dragging her back to the Beaconship.

"Whatever. You're just a crybaby," Ruby said matter-of-factly. "You didn't screw anything up. If the world explodes, it's not gonna be your fault, _unless_ you don't do anything to try and stop it. Then it's absolutely your fault and I'll dance on your grave. Which won't exist. Because the world's exploded."

"Ruby, that's…" Weiss sighed. She released herself from the redhead's grasp and walked alongside her on her own. " _Fine_. It's your head that's on the line."

Ruby squealed happily and leaned on Weiss, hugging her arm tightly. Weiss tried to push her off, but Ruby was surprisingly strong for her size. Not that she was a powerhouse herself, of course…

"Weiss, after we kick Cinder's butt…" Ruby said coyly. "…could you maybe sign my copy of _Mirror Mirror_?"

"…You really have a physical copy of my album?" Weiss asked. She had been hoping all that talk about Ruby being a mega-fan of hers was just Yang messing around, although deep down, she had always known it to be true.

"Yep. _Please_?"

"Fine. Consider it an extension of my apology."

She really did hope the part about the poster was a joke, though.

* * *

 They gathered again on the hangar of the Beaconship, the six of them, all more filled with doubt than they ever had been before. Yet a new purpose was born from every meeting of the eyes, every head that nodded in acknowledging that, yes, things were bad – but they had come this far, and this is where they belonged.

As had become customary, Weiss was the one to break the silence, but this time her voice was so soft she might as well have been replaceable by a new person. There was still a fire in her eyes, but it was a gentler, steadier one, not the angry inferno from before that was aimed at anyone who came near her.

"I'm sorry for my earlier attitude. I hope you'll find it in yourselves to forgive me," she looked around, hands clasping at the edges of her coat. "Saving the fun wouldn't be half as satisfying if you all hated me."

Yang put one hand on her hip and patted Weiss in the back. "No one hates you, princess. You're a valuable member of the team," she smiled. "You need to work on your charm a little, but you're irreplaceable in our hearts."

"Agreed!" Jaune nodded. "Not the charm thing. The valuable, irreplaceable part."

"Don't listen to me, Weiss. You're plenty charming as you are," Pyrrha said. "Welcome back to the team. Not that you ever actually left. Sorry."

A hint of a smile appeared on Weiss' lips, but then she met eyes with Blake, and it faded immediately. Her hands joined behind her back, she bowed her head and began to speak again.

"Blake, I'm very-"

"I also need to apologize," Blake interrupted. "To all you guys. I lied about who I was. I was… scared, but that's not an excuse. We're all in this together. You deserved the truth from the start."

"Blake! Nobody's mad at you!" Ruby exclaimed. "You're awesome just the way you are. And if anyone says otherwise, I'll… I'll punch them in the face, I swear!"

"Hear, hear," Yang echoed. "And who in Remnant's name would be mad when they saw your cute little ears?" she paused. "Wait, that's not racist, is it?"

"It depends," Blake smirked. " _I_ find it flattering," she turned to Weiss and offered a hand. "Clean slate?"

Weiss took her hand and shook it. "Clean slate."

Almost as soon as that was done, Jaune stumbled into the middle of the group and shook his arms frantically, much to the girls' alarm.

"Alright, now that the sappy stuff is over, can we get to figuring out how to stop the evil mastermind from doing evil mastermind things?" he asked.

"Well aren't _you_ eager," Yang whistled. "What happened to the other guy?"

"Not gonna lie, he got this cool force field thingy around his body that halves the chance of him suffering a gruesome death, so he's a lot more confident now," Jaune said. " _That_ , and I'm fed up with us being played like pawns by Cinder and her pals. It's time we take action and hunt her down for good!"

A moment of silence followed.

"Hey that's our team name," Ruby said. "Nice turn of phrase, Jaune."

"Huh?" Jaune looked at her, utterly confused. "I don't get it."

"You're hopeless," Weiss said. "I actually have an idea of how to track Cinder down. I don't know if I can do it from here, and it might take a while, but…"

"Actually, Miss Schnee, that won't be necessary."

They all turned and saw Director Ozpin stop near them, an apologetic look on his face, but there was a smile on his lips too, though he seemed to making a great effort of hiding it.

"Surveillance just picked up Cinder Fall and her allies in the city Vale," he said. "Of course, it was no accident. No doubt she wanted us to find her and go to her encounter."

"Well, if that's what she wants, that's what she'll get," Ruby said. "Jaune's right – it's time we stop her!"

"Yeah!" Yang punched the air. "I wanna teach her what happens to people who beat up my sweet little sister!"

"Aaand you just made it totally uncool," Ruby mumbled. "Thanks, Yang."

"You may borrow one of our jets. Vale can't be more than a couple hours away from here," Ozpin said. "Good luck, everyone. And thank you. We'll be watching closely and sending backup if necessary."

"I'll be the pilot," Pyrrha looked at Jaune. "Hopefully we won't fall again."

Jaune gulped. "Now _why_ would you say that?"

With a shout and a wave of her hands, Ruby got the team's attention and bade them to march towards one of the jets in the hangar. Nothing had been said about it beforehand, but everyone seemed to have decided that she was their leader, at least for now.

Ozpin couldn't contain his smile anymore as he watched them go, united at last. It wasn't the perfect team, but it was more than good enough. It was certainly better than what he had resigned himself into expecting.

He was reminded once again that sometimes, all that is needed is a little faith.

* * *

 " _-and that's why we cannot let these vermin roam around any longer. Do not misunderstand me – I mean the White Fang only, of course. I myself will be taking action in the very near future. It's time we stopped putting our faith in the likes of Ozpin and make the changes we want with our own hands._ "

"I see. Well, thank you, Mr. Schnee. As always, you bring some very… interesting points to the table. It was a pleasure having you."

Lisa Lavender cleared her throat, aligning her stack of documents in front of her face to hide her discomfort from the camera. She always appreciated having challenging guests to trade words with, but Jacques Schnee always took it a little to far for her tastes. His wasn't the type of discourse she wanted to be spread to her audience and society as a whole. But the network got what the network wanted, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Now, in related news," she started again. "Escalations between human and faunus communities continue throughout the globe. In Vacuo, we see the scene of a full-blown skirmish between assumed White Fang members and-"

The noise of something piercing the air had her stop in the middle of her delivery. As she pulled back from her reporting, another sound reached her ears – a horrible gargling that made her stomach turn even before she saw the cameraman's assistant on the floor, an arrow embedded in his neck, red flowing below him…

Lisa stood up abruptly, knocking her chair backwards, and started to yell for the feed to be cut – only for another arrow to come whizzing past her nose to find another target, an audio manager that had been her co-worker for nearly a decade now.

"Nobody move."

She froze, only her eyes moving as she inspected the studio. The order had come from _Roman Torchwick_ , who was standing besides the cameraman, his cane pressed against the side of his head.

"Anybody tries anything, your friend here meets an early demise," he continued. "And if for even a second you cut the feed – well, let's say a whole lot more is gonna get cut around here if that stupidity happens."

Another person stepped onto the stage, getting into the camera's view. Adam Taurus. Lisa's blood ran cold as she watched him walk towards her, sword drawn. Her every instinct was telling her to run, but she didn't dare incur the wrath of either of those men upon her co-workers.

"I'm afraid _you_ are gonna have to move. Don't worry, I'll help you, and I'll be gentle," Adam smiled. "Consider it thanks for the compassionate coverage, ma'am."

He turned her around, and Lisa felt a pain on her back like she had never felt before. She fell to the floor and tried to curl up, but found that her legs weren't responding to her commands. A kick sent her rolling away, only to stop barely out of the camera's reach, with a clear view of her table.

A woman was now seated in her chair, dressed in a red and gold dress, raven locks flowing down her shoulders. Her eyes burned like wildfires as they met the camera, and she smiled.

"Hello, Remnant."


	7. A World of Bloody Evolution

" _Hello, Remnant._ "

For a frozen moment in time, the voice hang in the air, the beginning notes of a heart-stilling omen. Nobody in the back of the jet said anything, their eyes glued to the small screen on the wall and the woman with burning eyes. They were flying so fast, booming through the skies, that they were in a constant state of shaking and being tossed around. But none of them gave that any mind anymore – they knew they were about to witness something terrible.

This was it.

" _My name is Cinder Fall. I would apologize for my rather… frightening entrance, but by the time we're done, you'll hopefully understand that was necessary. In fact, I expect you'll be thanking me for easing you into… well, let's not get ahead of ourselves,_ " she paused, and the flame in her eyes shone just a bit brighter. " _Yes, I expect some of you will be very, very grateful._ "

She leaned forward onto the desk, leaning on an elbow, and raised her hand so the camera focused on it.

" _For the past few days, you've been hearing all kinds of troubling news. Daylight White Fang attacks in Atlas, of all places; individuals with strange abilities; and, if you're particularly unlucky, sightings of_ dark things _, followed by unexplainable disappearances. It's all very confusing. That's why I'm here – to shed some light on the dark._ "

A snap of her fingers, and an actual living flame popped into existence, hovering in the air before her like the lost end of a torch. Cinder reached forward, and the fire responded to her touch, snaking around her fingers. There wasn't a trace of pain or discomfort on her face.

" _The things my good colleague Adam Taurus and the Schnee heiress put before your eyes were not tricks. They were not illusions, and they were certainly not inoffensive. They have power._ True _power. As do I – and who knows how many more around the globe._ "

" _Well, there might be someone who knows somewhat of an answer. Your good agents of Beacon. They have known about us for decades, and for decades they have worked to keep it a secret. It wouldn't do to share such important business with the public, after all. Not when they had so much more to gain…_ "

" _For just as much time as Beacon have known, they have been recruiting those special people and using them to further their own goals. And you might think there's nothing wrong with that – they are, after all, an intelligence company, bound to their secrets, and their mission is to protect the population of the world._ "

" _I wouldn't slight you for giving them a pass, just this one time. If only the secrets stopped there…_ "

She snapped her fingers again, and the flame went out. The screen went black, and for a long time, nothing happened.

"That can't be it," Jaune said, sweating buckets in his seat on the jet. "She can't be done just like that, right?"

"Maybe they got back control of the feed?" Yang suggested. "I mean, it would be anticlimactic, but probably the best thing that could happen. And it would be hilarious if she were talking alone to the room, no clue and all."

"Nothing's hilarious about this. Lisa Lavender was bleeding on the floor!" Weiss chided. "Someone should see Pyrrha. She's piloting and has no idea what's going on."

"That applies to all of us," Blake said. "I'll talk to her."

But just as Blake started getting up, the screen came back to life with a series of multicolored flashes accompanied by screeching and static noise. Then, black again – but unlike before, it was because something was being pressed into the camera – something _alive_.

Suddenly, the camera pulled back, and a Beowolf was roaring at it from behind steel bars, its glistening fangs and red eyes at full display. Then the feed changed – another cage with more trashing Beowolves – and again, this time an Ursa, hammering its arms against the bars until they _broke_ -

The feed changed again, immediately into the middle of the scene of a skirmish. The camera shook violently to the footage of so many Beacon agents fighting for dear life, clutching firearms and blades while an even greater number of Grimm launched at them from all sides.

Again and again, the feed kept changing, showing progressively worse scenes. A facility overtaken by Grimm. Rows of cages filled with the creatures. A ruined city, in the middle of it standing a gigantic horse-like demon. Blood and dark fog, gunfire and howls and screams.

"She's telling the whole world about the Grimm," Yang said, sounding like her mind had yet to catch up to what she was seeing. "She's _showing_ them…"

"She's insane!" Weiss exclaimed. "What could she have to gain from this? What could _anyone_? This is so, so horrible – it really is the end of the world."

"Ozpin did say she hated Beacon," Blake said. "Maybe this is her way of getting back at them."

"By turning Remnant into a living hell? Don't you think that's shooting a tad over the mark?" Weiss asked.

"That's my only explanation," Blake shrugged. "You said it – Cinder is insane."

Jaune got up from his seat, holding his belly like he was about to throw up. He shook his head, then turned away brusquely. "I'm gonna talk to Pyrrha."

Even after he was gone, the scenes on the TV didn't change. Weiss set about pacing around the jet, clearly too alarmed to sit still a moment longer, while Blake observed the screen with a reluctant expression on her face, like she wanted to look away from the horror, but at the same time was transfixed by it.

"Ruby?" Yang turned to look at her sister. "Are you okay? You haven't said a word since Cinder came on."

"I'm fine. I mean, I'm not fine, it's just…" Ruby said. "I don't know. I'm just wondering what could be so terrible to warp someone into doing something like this," she looked away bitterly. "I know it doesn't matter. But I still wonder."

"I guess that's a good question… but we'll leave it for later," Yang bumped her fists. "First order of business is punching Cinder in her-"

"She's back," Blake interrupted. The sisters' attention returned to the TV, and Weiss stopped her pacing to watch, shaking in anticipation.

The studio feed returned, with Cinder still on the seat she'd stolen from Lisa Lavender. She'd never appeared smugger, with a little smile on her lips and her fingers tracing blazing lines on the news desk.

" _Frightening imagery, wasn't it? What you just saw, ladies and gentlemen, are what Beacon dubbed the creatures of Grimm, doing what they do best – the only thing they do, really_ ," she started. " _Rending human flesh. Feeding on pain and fear. That's what they do – that's what they are. And the Grimm have been amongst us for a long time… you just weren't privy to the secret._ "

" _This is what your_ guardians _at Beacon are protecting you from. But what good are guardians that will keep you blind to your greatest threat? Guardians whose first priority is not to share the truth, but conceal it at all costs? Guardians that were brought to their knees by one person, and one person alone?_ "

" _Roman, dear. If you could come over here for a second._ "

* * *

 Torchwick didn't as much as look Cinder's way, even as he felt his stomach dropping and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Sweat started to form on his hands, but he kept his cane raised and aimed at the cameraman's head. Perhaps there was some way he could stall until he came up with a proper plan to-

"Don't mind the studio folk, Roman. I think they know better than to try something at this point, don't they?" Cinder said, seemingly speaking to her hostages, though her eyes were still fixed on him. " _Roman_."

Torchwick lowered his cane, but tightened his grip on it. If everything went to hell, at least he still had it to defend himself. He doubted it would do him much good, but it was better than nothing.

Fixing up an easy smile, he walked into frame. Every step was harder than the last, like his legs had turned to stone all of a sudden, but he didn't let that show, even as he stopped right next to Cinder.

"Thank you, Roman," Cinder smiled at the camera. "I don't think there's any need for it, but if you want to introduce yourself…"

Torchwick breathed deeply in relief. Good. This wasn't a one-sided thing. He hadn't expected Cinder to ask him to talk or anything the like. It hopefully meant she still had use for him, whatever it might be.

"Me? An introduction?" he smiled roguishly. If he was being given an opportunity to hold the reins, if only for a brief moment, he would make the best of it. It wasn't his ingenuity and muscles that had shaped his rise to power – no, his charisma had always been his greatest weapon. "Yes, that does sound unnecessary, not to mention terribly dull, but since you insist…"

He raised his arms triumphantly, letting the end of his cane land on the table just beside Cinder. She raised an eyebrow at him, apparently unimpressed, while at a corner of the studio, Adam Taurus shook his head slowly.

"Roman Torchwick! Thief; crime lord; and most importantly, revolutionary at large! Renowned all across the world for terrible and wonderful things – all depending on your point of view," he chuckled. "And to top it all off, every lady's secret object of admiration – and I do mean _every_ lady."

He tipped his hat. Cinder let his introduction hang in the air for a moment, seemingly unaffected by his latest claim, before returning her focus to the camera, her stare as sharp as ever.

"Indeed. Roman has been a thorn in every country's side since the time he first held a gun, and he's only gotten worse with age," she said, and Torchwick couldn't help but feel flattered by her words. "For how many years in a row were you at the top of Beacon's wanted list again? Fifteen? Sixteen?"

"Twenty-one, actually," Torchwick replied. "And here's to twenty-one more."

"Twenty-one years to catch their greatest target. And here you are, like it never happened," Cinder clucked her tongue. "For as much importance they put in your capture, Beacon seemed to care awfully little what came next. Perhaps they were just relieved to at last have you behind bars. Yet to me, the truth would seem that they are simply incompetent."

Torchwick drew his cane close again, tensing up. He didn't like Cinder's tone at all. He could see it in her eyes – she was about to do _something_ , and whatever that was, he wouldn't like it one bit.

To his relief, she seemed to no longer care about his presence, as her gaze drifted to Adam. The faunus didn't bother to hide his displeasure at the new attention, as his hand lowered to the sword at his waist.

"And my other colleague, Adam Taurus, needs no introduction either," Cinder said. "He and his White Fang have caused ten times the trouble Roman did, if not more, yet Beacon has done nothing to stop them. Why is that? After all, they do have the power to oppose and end their operations for good. What a _frustrating_ question."

Cinder stood up, pushing her chair back while keeping her hands on the desk. Torchwick took a step back, watching her carefully.

"Well, you get my point. There's no use in adding to the list of Beacon's defects. Whether you agree with me that they need to go, well, that's for everyone to make up their minds on," Cinder said. "There's only one thing left for me to show you. After all, every good critic needs to offer a solution. Right, Roman?"

Before he could even raise his weapon, Cinder's hand was already on his throat. Suddenly, his whole world was spinning as his forehead met the desk, and then he felt a searing pain on his back. Something sharp piercing through his left shoulder, pinning him to the desk.

He tried to stand up, but the pain drained him of all his strength, and he could only lay against the cold desk, fighting to keep breathing. There were black dots flooding his vision, drawing him in and out of a stupor, like evil little stars…

And then Roman Torchwick heard Cinder's voice one final time, followed by the low growl that chilled him to the bone.

"Have at it, my pet."

* * *

 "Oh, shit."

Yang turned Ruby away from the screen and hugged her, blocking her view. Ruby didn't protest in the slightest – she wasn't moving at all, her eyes glazed over and heart beating like a drum in her chest.

The horrible noises coming from the TV ceased instantly. Yang turned to see Weiss standing beside it, her hand still next to the power button. To say she was distressed would be a massive understatement.

"That was… messed up," Blake said, rubbing her wrists fervently.

"She killed her own ally in cold blood, just to make a statement," Weiss shivered. "Not only that. She offered him up to a Grimm. _Messed up_ doesn't start to cover it."

"I was trying to stay polite," Blake replied in a quiet voice. "I wonder if Adam…"

"Gosh, I can't even say I would like that," Weiss sat down and put her head on her hands, breathing shakily. "I _hated_ Torchwick. He gave me my scar. W-we did almost kill each other… But _that_ …"

"She's not getting away with it."

Everyone turned to look at Ruby. She pushed Yang away to sit straighter, and fixed her cape more tightly on her shoulders, a determined look in her eyes.

"All that stuff Cinder said about Beacon doesn't matter. She's just as bad as the Grimm," she looked at Yang. "You asked me if I was okay? Well, I'm not. Now…" she closed her fists around Crescent Rose, folded on her lap. "I'm angry."

* * *

 Cinder beat her palms together and sighed contently. The transmission had gone just as planned – in fact, she would be so arrogant as to say it went even better than expected. Things always seemed to go this way for her. People gave so little resistance, her plans frequently were easier to execute than they had any right to be. It was _almost_ bothersome.

Although, it did give even more credence to her message. Beacon; the Vale authorities; the Vale News Network… she had toppled them all and barely broken a sweat.

The world was going to be angry at her. Her name would be cursed in every city of every country. But in time, they would see she was right. And, as always, she wouldn't have done half the work to get there.

"Thank you for your time and resources, ladies and gentlemen," she said, looking around the studio at the TV crew she had been holding hostage. "No need to be frightened anymore. Not of me, anyway. Hurting any of you would be pointless, and I don't feel the inclination for it at the moment," she pointed to the door. "You are free to leave, though I advise you stay put. My Grimm are holding the lower floors of your building – the chances of you making it to the streets are microscopic."

Soon, it wouldn't matter whether they were inside or outside the building anyway, but Cinder kept that to herself. Hope was terror's most important ingredient.

She watched as most of the crew left the studio, some very hesitantly while others ran carelessly past their coworkers. The ones that stayed grouped together away from her, tending to each other and speaking in low tones.

Cinder's earpiece buzzed, and a moment later Emerald's voice came through. " _We're done with the installation, boss._ "

"Any complications I should know about?" Cinder asked.

" _Just some idiots from the local police. Tried to get in from the sky. The Grimm took care of that_."

"Good. Are we ready for activation?"

" _Unless this thing turns out to be a major disappointment, yep, we are clear to go_ ," Mercury came in. " _You want us to wait for you?_ "

"Get started. I'll be up there soon," Cinder said. "Don't screw things up."

" _Sure thing, boss_."

She looked at Adam Taurus, who hadn't said anything even as she disposed of Torchwick. She knew he was unsettled and worrying for his own life, however – he had kept a good distance between them, when before he hadn't been nearly as subdued in her presence.

"You are free to go too, you know?"

Adam shifted slightly, his hand never leaving his sword. "Excuse me?"

"If you want to stay, please do," Cinder shrugged. "But you've done your part, and I am a woman of my word. You're free to go."

"A woman of your word. Forgive me if I'm skeptical."

He gestured towards the bloody remains on the desk and the Beowolf licking at his claws behind her.

"Oh, I understand where you're coming from. But you must understand, _that_ was Roman's part," Cinder said. "It's funny. He thought his skills were so invaluable, but he couldn't be more wrong. It was that arrogance that allowed me to lead him on, until the time for his _true_ purpose came," she waved dismissively. "Regardless. I never lead you on, Adam. Why would I kill you now?"

"You don't seem the type to like loose ends," Adam said.

"You're wrong. Some loose ends can be very useful," Cinder smiled. "I do hope you find your way back to the White Fang, and that you continue to do the excellent work you're famous for. Perhaps we can do business together again sometime?"

"Stop it. I see through you, Fall," Adam stepped towards her, unsheathing his sword halfway. "You never needed me either. I was just another name to attach to your bullshit message. Here's the truth: neither I nor the White Fang will ever serve a human cause, much less yours."

"But you've already served my cause, Adam. You have since long before I came to you with my proposition," Cinder said, not batting an eye at his advance. "The _truth_ , Adam, is that unless you make some drastic lifestyle changes, you'll _always_ serve my cause. And I think we both know you'll never make that change. So, I would advise you to put your sword away… or I might just turn the camera back on."

Cinder waited, keeping herself relaxed but prepared to act in a second's notice. She knew Adam wasn't exactly the most rational person, but she would hate to be forced to dispose of such a useful ally.

Finally, Adam sheathed his sword. Without saying a thing, he turned his back to her and walked out of the room, leaving her alone with her Grimm. Cinder hummed to herself, absently petting the creature in the head, getting a quiet growl in return.

"There'll be more where that came from, little one," she whispered. "We're just now getting to the fun part…"

* * *

 Pyrrha and Jaune joined the others in the back, having left the jet on autopilot to fly the rest of the way to Vale. Ruby was doing some last-minute maintenance on Crescent Rose, while Blake tested out her new weapon and Yang and Weiss waited impatiently.

"Hey, girls," Pyrrha said. "We're nearly there. Just a few minutes and we'll be landing in Vale. Hopefully it's not too late."

"Hopefully," Weiss frowned. "Too late for what, though? Cinder's already done a lot of irreversible damage."

"And I imagine she's still not done," Pyrrha noted. "Whatever's next, this time we'll be there to stop her."

"I get dibs on her face," Yang called, stretching her arms above her head.

"Remember, she won't be alone," Blake said. "Adam might still be with her. Not to mention her two friends Emerald and Mercury."

"Right. Man, I _also_ want dibs on Mercury's face, but I'll be generous and leave him for someone else," Yang said. "And how do we deal with freaky-mind-girl?"

"Empty our heads? Focus on a single thought?" Jaune suggested. "That's what they do in the movies. It's not the best idea, but-"

He was interrupted by a beep somewhere above them. Lights all around the jet started blinking red. A robotic voice reached them from the cockpit.

" _Grimm Breach detected. Danger level eight. Immediate containment measures recommended._ "

Pyrrha balked at the message and went to a window. She looked through for a few seconds, then backed off, her face even paler than before.

"The Breach is right above the VNN building," she said. "It's in the middle of Vale. The busiest part of the busiest city in the world. We had _no notice_ that would be happening."

"So, you're saying Cinder made this… Breach," Yang said. "Like the one back in the Beaconship. Except by the sounds of it, this one is much bigger."

"Uhm, how bad is a level eight Breach, exactly?" Jaune asked.

"It's bad," Ruby answered. "Like, destroy-Vale bad. But don't worry! We can deal with this! Pyrrha, we're landing near the VNN, right?"

Pyrrha nodded. "That was the plan. We might get knocked out of the sky before we get there, though."

Jaune became noticeably green at hearing that. He wasn't ready to crash a third time in a week, it seemed.

"Yeah, let's hope that doesn't happen," Ruby said. "Listen, girls – and Jaune. We can do this! Sure, it's a level eight Breach, but _we_ are level eight badasses! – sorry for the language, Yang. If we work together, we can make sure the Grimm don't spread and the least amount of innocent people get hurt."

"You're right. The Grimm are specially attracted to people with Semblances," Pyrrha said, quickly regaining her confidence. "We can set a perimeter. Three blocks around the VNN, maybe? If any Grimm tries to pass, we either turn them back or destroy them."

"That's the idea! But we're gonna need more than that. I say we-"

Something hit the side of the jet, and the following shaking nearly knocked them to the floor. Jaune leaned against a wall, breathing loudly.

"Okay," Ruby said. "Land first. Share the plan later."

Pyrrha nodded, then went back to the cockpit.

* * *

 As they neared the VNN building, the Breach became impossible to ignore. A red portal floated above the building, like a gigantic evil eye staring down at them from the sky. Even scarier was the number of Grimm flying around it and the building, as if making guard, while drops of shadowy substances oozed out of the Breach and landed on the streets, where they turned into all types of Grimm.

Pyrrha landed the jet a few streets away, and moments later they were out in the open, surrounded by the chaos of people running away and Grimm lurking for pray. It took all of Ruby's willpower not to immediately jump into the fray. Instead, she turned to the rest of team, all of which were already waiting for her orders, much to her surprise.

"Alright. So this is my idea, and if anyone wants to contribute, please do," she started. "We're gonna split up for now. Yang, Blake, Pyrrha, you're staying on the ground. East, West, North - each one takes a direction to contain the Grimm. Jaune, you're also on the ground, but you're support – get people to safety, and if one of us is in trouble, you're on it."

"My mom always wanted me to be a medic," Jaune said, getting his pistol out. "I don't think she meant this, though."

"Weiss, I want you on the sky," Ruby continued. "You're gonna be our eyes up there. Try to take of the flying Grimm if you can. Also, watch the VNN. Cinder's probably still there. And please don't fall."

"My part seems a bit more complicated than the others," Weiss noted, though she didn't appear too bothered. "No matter. I will do my utmost to fulfill my duties. But what about you?"

"I'm taking South," Ruby said. "But if anyone needs help, I'll be there. Not to brag, but I'm kinda the fastest one here," she took out Crescent Rose and unfolded it. "Is everyone clear on their roles?"

"Aye aye, captain!" Yang exclaimed. "Shall we get to the kicking and punching?"

"Don't wait on my order!"

And with that, Ruby disappeared in a burst of petals. After deciding which direction each of them was taken, Pyrrha, Blake and Yang split up. Jaune waited a few moments before running for the nearest gathering of civilians.

"Here goes nothing," Weiss mumbled to herself, forming a glyph beneath her feet. With a flick of her hand, she sent it and herself flying upward, until she was level with the top floors of the VNN and other buildings around it.

The Battle of Vale had begun.

* * *

 It was amazing how much destruction the Grimm had wrought in so little time. As Ruby raced through the streets to get to her assigned sector, she saw destroyed and overturned car, buildings and houses at the verge of collapse, and huge fires spreading out everywhere she looked. Most disturbing, however, was how little people were out on the streets – it meant that either everyone was hiding inside, or that by this point…

She put that thought aside. Worrying about things beyond her control would only slow down her down. The best thing she could do now was to act quick and decisively, like Commander Goodwitch had trained her to. This was just like any other Breach job she'd taken in the past. Except this time, she had friends to help her.

"Hiya!" With a shout, Ruby returned to her physical form and swung Crescent Rose in a wide arc around her, catching a Beowolf by the throat. Before its head had hit the ground, it and the rest of the monster turned to smoke and dissipated.

She landed on her feet and rested her scythe across her shoulders, taking a moment to assess her surroundings. Using her Semblance and killing the first Beowolf had drawn the attention of a great number nearby Grimm, who stopped roaming about in search of stray prey and started converging on her.

"Nice," she whispered. "All according to plan."

The small horde fell upon her all at once, swinging claws and snapping jaws at her. Ruby stepped back as she swung her scythe again and again, slashing through the Grimm expertly. The new Oumnium build of Crescent Rose made it even deadlier against the beasts, something she'd never thought was possible.

Even so, there were _a lot_ of Grimm to fight at once, and she couldn't use her speed before. She had to slow down at least a little in order to attack, and it was during these moments that she was most vulnerable. Normally, that wasn't such a problem, but with so many attacks coming at her from all sides, and the constant stream of reinforcements…

She cut through another Beowolf, only for an Ursa to come stomping through the smoke, its claw already halfway to her face. Ruby flinched – and in instinct, transformed into a swirl of petals. The Ursa stumbled through them – through _her_ – and roared angrily as it nearly fell to the ground.

Barely thinking, Ruby directed herself upward and turned back to normal. She landed atop the Ursa's head. Before it could understand what had happened and throw her off, Ruby raised her scythe and aimed it at the Grimm surrounding her, taking quick Dust shots that exploded the weaker specimens and stunned the stronger ones.

Then, when she felt the Ursa finally regain its senses, Ruby aimed Crescent Rose at the back of its neck and pulled the trigger. The recoil sent her flying upwards, while back on the ground the Ursa fell apart. As she made her arc through the air, Ruby kept her aim on the creatures below her, taking them out with precise shots.

When she finally landed back on her feet, the street was mostly empty, save for a few tougher Grimm. "Oof! Now _that_ was awesome!" Ruby pumped her fist triumphantly. "I can't wait to tell everyone. They're gonna be so impressed!"

" _No need to wait, fearless leader_ ," Weiss' voice buzzed in her ear, with a not-so-small amount of sarcasm in it. " _You forgot to reconfigure your comms. We all heard you ranting to yourself._ "

"W-what? I-I wasn't ranting!" Ruby shouted.

" _It's okay, sis_. _This will make for a good memory._ "

"Shut up, Yang!" grumbling under her breath, Ruby tapped her earpiece furiously, trying to make it work like it was supposed to. She hadn't forgotten! It was malfunction! "A-anyway! Weiss, how are things looking from up there?"

" _It's a wonderful mess. We're doing well, or so it appears to me_ ," Weiss replied. " _You're doing particularly well. The Grimm that where already there before we arrived are nearly all gone. You should have to deal only with the ones dropping from the Breach now_."

"Great. Does anyone need help?" Ruby asked eagerly. This was her dream team-up, after all.

" _Surprisingly, no. Even Jaune is holding his own._ "

" _Very funny_ _, Weiss. Wait, is my comms-thingy working_?"

" _Yes, better than Ruby's, actually. You can stick to where you are, leader._ "

"Hey, I'm the one making those decisions, not you!" Ruby exclaimed.

A low rumble beneath her alerted her to a Boarbatusk's rolling approach. She waited until it was about to hit her, then lifted her scythe just in time to knock it back. A quick Dust round to its exposed belly was just enough to destroy it.

" _Ruby, can you_ please _fix your comms_?" Blake asked. " _Your weapon is very loud._ "

"R-right. Uhm, wait a moment, everybody. Please don't die while I'm away."

Ruby took out her earpiece and sat down on the ground to fix it, peeved that her moment was being ruined by something so trivial.

* * *

 Flying wasn't nearly as fun as it sounded, especially when you were surrounded by dozens of winged demons that wanted nothing more than to eat you alive or knock you out of the sky. Not that Weiss was here for fun, anyway, but she was still bitter about it.

Regardless. She had a role to play. There was no room for complaining.

Halting her glyph's ascension, Weiss shot an icy beam of Dust at a Griffon, freezing one of its wing and causing it to suddenly go plummeting down until it met its gruesome death on the streets below. The creature's demise immediately attracted the attention of every flying nearby, and suddenly Weiss found herself being surrounded in every direction.

"Great."

There were way too many for her to kill, and if just one of them got to her, there would be little room for her to escape. Therefore, there was only one thing she could do, much as she hated it: run.

Turning around, she willed her glyph to shoot away from the incoming flock of Grimm. Her ponytail whipped against the back of her neck as she sped past the rooftops of Vale, but even so, she could still feel the Grimm's dark presence growing closer by the second. She wasn't going nearly fast enough to avoid them for any worthwhile amount of time. A change of tactics was in order.

Dismantling her glyph, Weiss dropped down onto a rooftop and immediately started running. It was a haphazard plan, one Ruby would certainly be proud of, but it was her best shot at dealing with her current predicament. Hopefully she wouldn't end up splattered on the pavement.

As she reached the rooftop's edge, Weiss stopped just briefly enough to bend her knees, then jumped. For a scary moment, she couldn't do anything, her mind and body frozen still as she soared through the air, then started to fall down even faster. Then like a light switch, her senses returned to her and she formed a glyph far below her, just a couple meters above the pavement. She aimed her trajectory towards it – no doubt, no fear, no hesitation – preparing herself…

And kicked against the glyph. It was like being shot by a cannon – suddenly, she was flying faster than she'd ever before, the Grimm lagging far behind her now. Success!

Emboldened by her maneuver, Weiss turned around while still soaring and conjured a glyph on each of her hands, taking quick aim. The Dust beams were erratic, but most found targets in the pursuing flock. The Grimm started to fall, either crashing to the floor or colliding against buildings.

But that still wasn't enough. The remaining Grimm parted in the middle, giving way for a Nevermore, which came flying directly at her, faster than any of its brethren. Weiss shot a Dust beam at it, but the attack did nothing more than freeze a little patch of feathers near the bird's chest. It was way too big for her to take down on her own.

Turning back around, Weiss summoned another glyph and kicked off it, renewing her momentum. She looked down, reassessing where she was in relation to the VNN. It didn't take long for her to notice the mass of Grimm running in the same direction she was going – an impressive number of them, which meant they had a very enticing target.

"Yang!" she called, tapping her earpiece. "I'm coming your way!"

Yang's reply came a few moments later, so loud that Weiss nearly turned her comms off in reflex. " _Oh thank God! I'd love some help, I think these guys are in love me with me or something!_ "

"Actually, _I_ wanted some help too," Weiss said. She could see Yang now, in the middle of the Grimm mass, mowing them down like she had been born for it. Weiss would have been impressed, were she not in such trouble. "I'm here! Watch your head!"

Weiss made a glyph above the fight and landed on it, then rose to her feet and aimed her hand-glyphs down at the Grimm. Not having the luxury of choosing her targets, she started to shoot as fast as she could, freezing as many Grimm as she could at once.

"Happy now?" Weiss jumped from her glyph and landed behind Yang. With a flick of her hand, she shot an approaching Ursa, freezing its face and causing to topple over.

"I take back everything I said about you," Yang said, smiling widely. "You're pretty okay, Weiss. Emphasis on pretty."

"You do _not_ get to flirt with me," Weiss rolled her eyes. "If you want to make it up to me, please take care of the murderous bird."

"Hmm?" Yang turned around and saw the Nevermore, which was diving towards them with its beak wide open. She shrugged and started walking towards the Grimm. "Oh, that's no problem."

"Wait!" Weiss shouted. "Don't just walk at it, you absolute-"

Before she could finish, Yang jumped and grabbed on to the Nevermore's wing. To Weiss' astonishment, the two went down immediately, Yang spinning around to shove the Nevermore into the pavement. Landing on the creature's back, the blonde's hair seemed to catch on fire - or maybe Weiss was imagining things?

" _YANG SMASH!_ " She raised her arms above her head, only to bring them back down in a powerful blow on the Nevermore's neck. The creature didn't even have the strength to scream.

Yang landed amidst the smoke and stomped out of it to rejoin Weiss. Her eyes were blood red, and indeed, her hair was incandescent.

"Are you… okay?" Weiss asked, taking a step back for safety.

Yang closed her eyes and shivered slightly. When she opened her eyes again, they were back to their regular violet tone. "Sorry. I have a temper problem."

"Duly noted," Weiss said. Now it made sense why Yang had attracted so many Grimm before. "Well, if you need any more help, don't hesitate to call. I'll be going back to my death chases through the sky," she made a glyph beneath her and started to hover upward. "…And thanks for the assist. It was much appreciated."

"Aww, Weiss!" Yang cooed. "I knew you had it in you!"

"Hmph. Don't get used to it."

* * *

 Pyrrha bashed her shield against the Ursa's face, then swiftly spun in place, slicing the Grimm's neck with it. As the smoke dissipated, she stepped back and looked around, a frown forming on her forehead. The plan was going well, relatively speaking, but no matter how many Grimm she and the rest of the team killed, there were always more to replace them.

They couldn't keep doing this forever. And the longer they fought, the longer the Grimm terrorized the city… Pyrrha didn't like to think what effect that could have on Vale and the rest of the world.

"Guys, we need to do something," she said, tapping her earpiece. "That Breach is not closing anytime soon. Sooner or later, something's gonna come out of it that we can't deal it."

" _Pyrrha's right. This is only gonna get badder,_ " Ruby replied. " _Oh, I fixed my thing, by the way._ "

" _Good. And you meant to say_ worse _, I believe_ ," Weiss said. " _I think it's safe to assume whatever made that Breach is in the VNN building. Agreed?_ "

"That would make the most sense," Pyrrha looked at the Breach in the sky. There were so many Grimm around and coming out of it, it was difficult to see it through the black. "You're our eye in the sky. Can you see anything there?"

" _I tried getting close before. I'm not making that mistake again._ "

" _If we can't get there from the sky, we're gonna have to do it the old-fashioned way,_ " Ruby said. " _Who wants to go inside and make their way up?_ "

" _I'll go_ ," Blake said. " _But someone will have to cover my sector once I'm gone, and I'm afraid I haven't been as efficient in killing Grimm as the rest of you._ "

Pyrrha shook her head. She didn't like the idea of Blake going into the VNN all by herself. Everything pointed to Cinder and her crew being there. If she got into a fight there…

" _I'll back you up_ ," Jaune butted in. " _After all_ , _I am the support guy. Right?_ "

" _Thanks. I'll meet you at the front._ "

"Wait. Shouldn't you have more backup?" Pyrrha asked. "I mean, who knows what's going inside that place…"

" _We'll be fine. Sometimes less is better_ ," Blake said. " _Don't worry, I'll protect Jaune_."

" _Oh, come on! Even you, Blake?_ " Jaune groaned. " _Why do we have to have a butt monkey? Can't I just be respected as a valued member of the-_ "

" _We all appreciate you, Jaune,_ " Yang said. " _Can you take care of the big hole in the sky now?_ "

" _Fine. I'm going._ "

The comms went silent again as everyone got back to their respective jobs.

Pyrrha lowered her hand. There were still a lot of Grimm for her to take care of, and with Blake leaving her post, cleaning the streets would get even tougher. But they had handled things well, so far. If she left too, how bad could it get?

She shook her head. No. She had been assigned a job, and like a good agent, she would see it to the end. Even if her gut was telling her she was needed elsewhere…

* * *

 " _Cinder! Two of them just entered the building. The faunus and the Beacon boy. Should we do something about it?_ "

Cinder stopped at edge of the rooftop, gazing down at the destruction running rampant through the streets below. Of course, it wasn't as terrible – _wonderful_ – as it should have been, what with the _heroes_ ' interference, but it still brought a smile to her face. Everything was going according to plan.

"Stay put," she said. "The Grimm will stop them."

" _Well, that's the thing, boss_ ," Mercury replied. " _There are barely any Grimm left in the lower floors. They just… vanished._ "

"Vanished. Oh, no, that's not what happened. It seems our friend Adam really is bitter about his part," Cinder sighed. "Go on, then. Stop the intruders. Make sure it pleases the Grimm, too."

" _Yes, ma'am._ "

Far below, a red blur dashed through the Grimm, leaving a trail of petals and smoke behind it. Cinder sat down to watch, becoming all the more transfixed by her chaotic show as it grew and evolved. The more they fought, the better the spectacle it became. She couldn't even be angry about it.

To be honest, she wasn't sure who she was rooting for anymore.

* * *

 Jaune stepped through the ruined entrance of the VNN building, his hairs standing on end as he looked around at the dark lobby. The Grimm really had done a lot of damage here. He hoped no one had gotten seriously hurt during their rampage.

"Good. You're here."

Jaune jumped and turned around to see Blake come out of a dark corner, blade held on one hand, pistol on the other. Her ribbon was wrapped around her arm, and if he wasn't seeing things, attached to the lower end of her blade.

"Hi," he said, trying to appear cool despite his scare, which he was sure wouldn't work on her. "Did I keep you waiting?"

"Not too long," Blake said. "I had some trouble getting here, actually."

"So did I! The Grimm really are protecting this place, it seems," Jaune frowned. "I expected to find more here, though. Did you kill them or something?"

"There were a few. But, yes, fewer than you would imagine," Blake paused. "It's almost like someone already passed through here."

"Well, whatever happened, I'm not complaining," Jaune turned to look at the lobby. There was an elevator at the other end of it, and beside it, a door leading to the stairs. "We're not taking the elevator, are we?"

"I don't think it's working. Even if it was, I don't like the image of us being inside a metal box in the middle of a Grimm warzone," Blake said. "We're taking the stairs."

"Yup, no arguments here."

They went through the doorway and looked up. If his adrenaline weren't still pumping from the chaos happening outside, Jaune would have given up then and there. The stairs went on so high, he couldn't even see the end of them.

"Do you think there are more Grimm up there?" he asked. A roar came from above, echoing louder and louder until it reached them. "Alright. Don't answer the question."

"I'll go first. You stay behind and cover me if things go bad," Blake said, taking the first step up the stairs.

"That's a smart plan. I mean, you're one with the blade. I just have a measly pistol," he said, nervously following her. His grip on his pistol was getting sweaty, which coupled with his already subpar aim, did not bode well for both his _and_ Blake's safety. "I wish _I_ had something sharp. Nothing fancy. Just a sword, maybe. I mean, everyone's got a sword or something, except Yang, but she's like-"

"Jaune. I get this is a stressful situation," Blake stopped to look back at him. "But please try to be quiet. We don't know what we're getting ourselves into."

As Blake started climbing the stairs again, Jaune took a moment before following her, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Yes, this was an amazingly scary place he found himself in, heading straight into the mouth of hell – figuratively speaking. Never in a million years would he have imagined that this would one day be his job. But it was, and there was nothing he could do but accept it.

He was a Beacon agent. It was about time he started to act like one.

* * *

 Yang brought her knee forward, smashing it against a Beowolf's midsection, then spun around and kicked it across the face. As it turned to smoke, three more Beowolves came charging at her – a kick, a punch, and another kick, and they went down. The world turned redder and redder as the Grimm came at her, like a tidal wave with no foreseeable end – but she stood her ground, and she burned.

She didn't remember when, but sometime during the fight, killing these monsters had become like second nature. She didn't have to think anymore, her body responded to the Grimm's advances all on its own, striking hard and fast and with no regard to how taxing.

And it was taxing.

But it felt great.

Yang had never known quite what to do with herself. This wasn't an answer, but now… she'd never felt more alive.

She was almost disappointed, then, when she raised her fist one more time, only to find that no Grimm were charging at her. She looked around, eyes still red, her whole body trembling with aggression waiting to be released, but there was no enemy in sight. There was only her and the street she stood on, which looked like a tornado had passed through it.

Had she caused all that damage…?

A flash of light snapped her out of her thoughts. Yang turned around, thinking perhaps Weiss had just landed somewhere nearby and needed help, but what she found instead were two children, a boy and a girl, certainly no older than ten-years-old, crouched under a piece of a fallen billboard. The girl was holding a cellphone in her hands, its camera aimed at Yang. She looked hopelessly enamored, like she'd just witnessed the most incredible thing in her life.

The boy looked terrified.

"Hey," Yang said softly, raising her hands in a way she hoped looked non-threatening, and started walking towards the kids. "What are you two doing here? This place is way too dangerous for kids. For anyone, really."

"Why are you here, then?" the girl asked, not lowering her phone. "You're not running away either."

"Well, as you just saw, I'm not just anyone," Yang crouched in front of them. "Come on. Don't force me to pull you of there."

Grudgingly, the girl slipped out from under the billboard, never leaving Yang out of the camera's frame. Yang winked at her, then turned to face the boy.

"Come on. You too," she said. "Everything's okay now. You don't have to worry about the monsters."

She offered him a hand. For a moment, the boy stared at it like he was looking at a death trap, just waiting to catch him. Finally, he took her hand and came out, letting go as soon as possible to hide behind his friend.

"Alright. You two run off now," Yang ordered, pointing away from the VNN. She looked sternly at the girl. "And don't go showing that video to your friends, you hear? That was some scary stuff that just happened. Not every kid is as brave as you."

The girl put down the phone and nodded, then grabbed the boy's wrist and started leading him away, but they didn't walk far before she spun back around to shout at Yang. "When I grow up, I wanna be just like you!"

"Oh. O-okay, then. That's nice," Yang rubbed the back of her head, caught completely off-guard. "You're… gonna need a lot of hair products, though. Better think hard about that before making a decision."

The girl waved at her, then ran away, dragging the boy along with her.

Yang waited until she lost sight of the kids before turning around. There weren't any Grimm nearby, but surely Ruby or Pyrrha would appreciate some assistance. She started to reach for her earpiece to ask about that – but stopped, her eyes catching something at the edge of her vision.

Someone was watching her from an alley behind her. A woman, clad in black and red, her face hidden behind a mask that resembled a – a Grimm? A long sword hung on her waist, her hand on the pommel, like she was waiting to use it.

Not a second after Yang set her eyes on her, the woman disappeared. Yang blinked. She hadn't imagined that, had she? She wasn't _that_ battle-crazed. Not yet, at least.

" _There's a huge Grimm heading west. At this rate, it's going to escape the perimeter_ ," Weiss' voice buzzed over the comms. " _Yang, could you stop it? I would do it myself, but I'm a little busy at the moment trying to get these dimwitted media helicopters to go away._ "

" _Did you ask nicely?_ "

" _I wasn't talking to_ you, _dolt. But yes, I was impeccably polite. Yang? About the Grimm?_ "

"Uh… yeah. Sure," Yang replied. "I'll deal with it."

She shook her head. Maybe she was crazy. Luckily, she didn't need to be sane to use her fists.

* * *

 Jaune didn't know what was worse: how long the climb was taking, or how quiet everything. Save from the noises of the battle outside, him and Blake were immersed in absolute silence the moment they'd gotten to the stairs. At first, he'd felt relieved, but as they went on and on with nothing happening, the suspense started to get to him.

But something was bound to happen eventually, and he was sure it wouldn't be anything good. That's why he hadn't lowered his pistol for even a second. He wasn't going to be caught unprepared.

"Wait." As they reached a new floor, Blake stopped, and Jaune nearly crashed into her. "Do you hear that?"

Jaune tilted his head slightly, trying to hear whatever Blake was talking about. Still, there was only the Grimm and the gunshots outside. "No. What is it?"

"There are still people in this building. Definitely on this floor," Blake's bow twitched. "Someone's in pain," she looked up the stairs. "I don't know if we have the time to help them. The Breach, and Cinder…"

"Of course we have the time. We'll _make_ the time," Jaune said. He didn't blame Blake at all for hesitating, but to him there was no question as to what they should do. "If we pass on helping someone in need, what's even the point of anything we're doing?"

"You're right," Blake nodded. "Let's make it quick, though. And don't let your guard down."

"Never."

Blake carefully pushed open the door out of the stair room, and together they stepped out into a hallway. The lights on the ceiling were either flickering or fried, giving it a rather macabre atmosphere. There were several rooms along the length of the hallway, most with signs indicating they were live studios.

"This is where they broadcast the news from, I think," Jaune whispered. "Whoever's hurt, it's because…"

"Yeah, I'm with you," Blake spun her blade in her hand. She seemed to be just as unsettled as him, which was only a small comfort. "Careful."

She nodded to the right and started walking there. Jaune let a little distance get between them before following. It was best they weren't so close, in case there was an ambush ahead or he needed to shoot.

A whimper echoed through the hallway, so fast for a moment he thought he had imagined it, but then he noticed Blake stop for just an instant, cocking her head to the head, before quickening her pace. The wounded was near.

Jaune lowered his pistol a little, intending on matching Blake's speed – but suddenly the lights flickering again, and this time, didn't come back. There was only the hazy sunlight from outside now.

And Blake was nowhere to be seen.

"Blake?" Jaune stopped, raising his pistol again. There was no response. In fact, he couldn't even hear Blake's footsteps. Although, had he ever been able to? She _was_ remarkably stealthy. She'd probably turned a corner, that was all.

A dull noise came from behind him, like something heavy had fallen on the carpeted floor. And then, he heard it, a growl so close, it made his whole body shutter. His fingers itched at his pistol's trigger.

A Beowolf's head appeared over his shoulder, its lips parted to reveal a set of dagger-like teeth, blood and saliva dripping from them onto the chin. Red eyes bore into his, and slowly, the mouth parted…

He blinked, then turned around and pulled the trigger. The Grimm flickered out of existence, the Dust round passed through, and landed squarely on Emerald Sustrai's forehead. The round exploded against her Aura in a shower of flames, but not without leaving an impact – she screamed in shock and collapsed against a wall, barely keeping herself up.

Emerald pushed herself away from the wall and drew a knife from her belt, but Jaune wasn't about to let her get to him that easily. Gripping his pistol in both hands, he shot a barrage of Dust rounds her way. Emerald raised her arms to protect her face and dove to the floor, but not before tossing her knife at him. Jaune jumped aside, barely avoiding having his nose sliced off his face.

"That wasn't nice," Jaune said. "Just stay down, okay? I don't wanna have to hurt you."

A door opened behind him. "Did you really get trumped by a wimp like this, Emerald?" Mercury Black appeared, his pants partly ripped to reveal a metallic leg. "This is why Semblances suck. First you think they're useful, next thing you know, you're relying way too much on them and get your ass handed to you," he grinned. "I prefer doing things the way we were all born for."

Without warning, he lunged forward, jumping high off the floor and swinging his leg around. Jaune raised his arms, blocking the blow just in time, but fell to his knees as a massive pain spiked through his body.

"H-how are you this strong?" he asked through gritted teeth, looking up at Mercury. "You only have an Aura, that's all. You're not like-"

"Like all you slackers?" Mercury rolled his eyes. "Like I said. Semblances are overrated. I trained hard to get where I am today. It's a family tradition. One of many," he stood before Jaune, his grin widening. "Let me show you another one."

He started raising his legs for another kick, but suddenly, Blake's ribbon came out of the darkness and wrapped itself around it. The faunus herself appeared then and pulled on the ribbon, and Mercury fell on the floor, face-first.

"Woo! Thanks for the save, Blake!" Jaune stood up. "Let's teach this guy a-"

"Behind you." Blake raised her pistol and shot over his shoulder. Emerald ducked low to dodge the projectile, never changing her knife's trajectory towards his back, and Jaune didn't have the time to do anything about it either.

He prepared himself for an explosion of pain – and was pleasantly surprised when the blade met his back and shattered into pieces. "Huh," he met eyes with Emerald, her expression a mixture of disappointment and disbelief. "That's not normal, is it?"

"What the hell are you?" Emerald stepped back, tossing the destroyed knife aside.

"A very lucky guy," Jaune threw his pistol upward then caught it again so that he was holding it by the frame, then slammed it against Emerald's skull, making her drop to the floor, unconscious. "…That was cool," he looked down at his pistol. "Glad I didn't drop you. That would have been awkward."

He turned around to find Blake with a foot pressed against Mercury's back, struggling to keep him pinned. Jaune started towards them, but before he could help Mercury broke free, launching Blake stumbling back as he jumped to his feet.

"Hey you!" Jaune sprinted at him. "Hands off the-"

"Shut up." Mercury kicked him in the face, and Jaune fell on his back, seeing stars. Like before, even his plentiful Aura wasn't enough to soften the assassin's blow.

He manage to sit up just enough to see Mercury stride towards Blake, tensed to strike, but she didn't cower at his approach. With a flick of her wrist, Blake launched ribbon towards Mercury's face.

"Really? That's your wea-" Mercury screamed in pain and stumbled backwards. He hadn't noticed the blade attached to the end of the ribbon, and now a trickle of blood was running down his forehead and over his nose. "You bitch!"

"Guess you didn't _train_ hard enough, after all. Your Aura is like paper," Blake grinned at him. "Typical. I find the guys that brag the most are always the most disappointing."

Mercury let go of his face and dashed at her, kicking with all his might, only to pass straight through her. Blake reappeared behind him and punched him in the back of the neck, knocking him out.

" _Wow_ ," Jaune said, standing up. "You destroyed him, Blake. Even Pyrrha couldn't defeat Mercury."

"I'm sure she could, were they on a level playing field. Pyrrha is awesome," Blake gave him a significant look. " _Right_?"

"Uh… yeah, she is?" Jaune blinked. He wasn't really sure what the intend behind that question was. Girls had always been a mystery to him.

Blake hummed to herself, then walked over to Emerald and poked her with her foot. "She's out cold. They both are. Should be safe to leave them here for now," she said. "What happened, anyway? Did they ambush you?"

"Emerald tried that nightmare-thing of hers on me, made me think there was a Grimm about to eat me," Jaune shrugged. "I just… brushed it off and shot her. Then Mercury showed up and you rescued me."

"You… brushed it off?" Blake looked at him dubiously. "That's not how it works. When she attacked me back at the Beaconship, I was so terrified, I couldn't even move."

"That's my secret, Blake. I'm always terrified."

Blake stared at him blankly, like her brain had shutdown at hearing his explanation. Lucky for her, she was saved from the need of responding as a noise rang through the hallway – the same whimper as before.

"We should see to that," Blake said. "I can tell they're close, whoever-"

" _Guys, the Grimm are_ not _slowing down! I repeat, the Grimm are not slowing down!_ " Ruby screamed over the comms. " _What's happening inside there? Blake, Jaune, are you two okay?_ "

"Uh, yeah, we had an encounter with Emerald and Mercury, that's all," Jaune said. "Also, we're pretty sure there are people still here and they're in a bad shape. We were going to help them before going up to the rooftop."

" _Well, you better make it quick! We can't hold off the Grimm forever, you know?_ "

"Understood," Blake said. "Actually…" she looked towards Jaune, and he didn't like the look on her face at all.

* * *

 Pyrrha caught her shield as it returned and slid over the hood of a car, avoiding the deadly embrace of an Ursa. Using her Semblance, she flipped the car over, crushing the Grimm beneath it.

" _...and Jaune will stay behind to help news people._ "

Pyrrha shook her head. She hadn't heard what she'd just heard, had she?

"Blake?" she took her hand to her earpiece. "Did you just say you're going up there alone? Blake?"

 _"Yep. She did just that,_ " Jaune responded. " _And now she took off her comms. Aaaand now she ran to the stairs and left me alone in the dark. Great._ "

"That little- she's gonna get herself killed, you know?" Pyrrha rubbed her brow.

" _I could go after her…_ "

"No. Jaune, you stay where you are. Go do what she said."

Pyrrha looked around. There were Grimm she needed to kill. But she wasn't the only one in the streets. Yang and Ruby and Weiss were still fighting. But they were exhausted. And this was her job.

"…Screw it."

* * *

 Walking into the studio, Jaune immediately recognized it as the one Cinder had broadcast her transmission from. The second thing he noticed was the people sitting at the corner, just out of range of the sunlight coming from the windows. They seemed frightened, but uninjured – except for the one that was lied down, a blanket covering her tightly, but even so he could her shaking uncontrollably.

He didn't get three steps into the room before a man stood up brusquely, holding a piece of a camera stand in his hands like a baseball bat. "You! Get out! W-we're not taking anymore of your t-terrorism bullshit!"

"Hey! C-calm down, I'm not one of the bad guys! I'm a good guy!" Jaune raised his hands peacefully. "Come on, do I _look_ like a terrorist?"

The man looked him up and down, then slowly lowered his makeshift weapon. "Why are you here, then?"

"I'm here to help. Someone's hurt, right?" he walked towards them and looked down at the blanketed woman. "Oh. Is that Lisa Lavender?"

"Yeah, that's her. She's badly hurt. We… we don't think she's gonna make it," the man said, his voice shaking. "Truthfully, we all thought she was gone when that monster Taurus attacked her. But Lisa's a fighter. She's always been. But even so…"

"Can… can I take a look at her?" Jaune asked.

"I don't see what good that would do."

"Please. I might be able to save her."

It was a farfetched idea, but Jaune had gone through the craziest things over the last week and he had a feeling life was not going to be slowing down on him anytime soon. And if it meant just one person, he was ready to try anything.

The news crew lifted Lisa Lavender off the floor for just a moment, removing her blanket, then put her down again and turned her around. One of them pushed the back of her shirt up, and Jaune winced at the sight. The slash didn't look too deep, but it was long, going from one end of her hip to the other. It was bad.

"This better work…"

Jaune crouched and carefully laid his hands over the wound. He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of his Aura and the memory of what he had done when the Beaconship was falling. He had, without even meaning to, boosted Pyrrha's Aura with his own. She had explained to him later how energizing that had felt, and how Auras were the force behind so many of the things they were capable of – not only Semblances, but also accelerated healing.

Lisa Lavender, in all likelihood, did not have an Aura. But that didn't mean he couldn't help her. _He_ was the driving force in this effort, and the greatest lesson Pyrrha had taught him was that he could accomplish anything, if he put his mind to it.

"Come on, Lisa. Let's get there. It's not over for you!"

And suddenly, it happened. Like a floodgate had opened up, his Aura flared up and started flowing out of him, and into Lisa. He opened his eyes and saw his hands were glowing a bright white, and the light was enveloping Lisa too. Slowly, her wound started closing up, until only a scar remained.

With great effort, Jaune pulled himself away and sat down on the floor. He was a little fatigued and sweating everywhere, but otherwise, he felt fine. More than fine. He felt great.

"That was…" one of the reporters said. "You're like _her_."

"Like Cinder? I guess," Jaune swept back the sticky hair on his forehead. "Yeah… But I'm a good guy," he looked at Lisa Lavender. "She's okay now, but she still lost a lot of blood. You guys should keep her like this until things are clear."

"Clear? Clear how? The world is coming apart. Demons are raining down from the sky."

"We're working on that," Jaune stood up laboriously. "Trust me, everything's gonna be fine."

The news crew didn't look very encouraged, but there was nothing he could do about that aside from stopping Cinder and the Grimm, and that was he intended to do anyway. Him and the rest of his team.

From somewhere else in the building, a loud rasping noise came, like something metallic was moving and scratching against a wall at great speed. Then, a bang.

…That didn't bode well.

* * *

 Steeling herself, Blake pushed the door open and stepped outside. The fresh air and the light of the sun were diminished by the Grimm that flew around the rooftop, forming what from far away would resemble a black dome. But they did not bother her. They didn't care about people getting out of the building, only in.

Well, Blake had no intention of leaving anyway.

Looking back down, Blake was surprised to see the Schnee Dust Core sitting in the middle of the rooftop. Attached to it was a huge, circular metal contraption that surrounded it on its base and globe. The Dust inside it was reacting violently, changing attributes so fast Blake could barely distinguish between its color.

And between it and Blake…

"Ah. Company, at last," Cinder turned around. She set her golden eyes on Blake and raised an eyebrow curiously. "Not who I expected, I must admit. But no less interesting."

Blake didn't care to respond. She gripped her blade more tightly and spun her wrist subtly, making sure her ribbon was wrapped well around her arm. She took a step forward, looking past Cinder to examine the Dust Core. She recognized the contraption now. It was like the device Adam had used before to summon a Breach inside the Beaconship, except this one was much bigger, obviously, and so was its corresponding Breach…

"A brilliant invention, is it not?" Cinder said. "But it has its flaws. Do you know how much energy it takes to force apart the fabric between worlds, not to mention keep it that way? But that's no longer a problem, thanks to our dear Schnees," she pointed up at the Breach. "This beauty could remain for days, all thanks to them."

"I'm not interested in chatting," Blake said. "Get out of the way?"

"And what _are_ you interested in, Blake? Your boyfriend is gone. Why are you still here?" Cinder grinned. "Perhaps you are as selfless as you appear. Or perhaps you seek to prove that you deserve to stand besides your superpowered friends despite your bloody past. Or, just as likely, you simply don't care what happens to you. It would be a blessing to never have to doubt yourself again."

Blake flinched. She didn't like that Cinder seemed to know so much about her. Perhaps Adam had talked about her, but that didn't seem right. Adam had a lot of misconceptions about her, views warped by the circumstances of their past. But Cinder struck at the truth, or at least part of it.

She shook her head. This is what Cinder wanted, to get under her skin. Blake wasn't going to allow that too happen. Offering no warning, she raised her pistol and shot a Dust round at her foe.

In the blink of an eye, Cinder conjured a golden glyph on her hand and flicked the round aside with it. "I believe there's truth to all those answers."

Blake ran towards Cinder, preparing her blade to strike, and made a clone to substitute herself. As the clone reached Cinder and turned to smoke, Blake came in from above, slashing towards her throat – but found her wrist being enveloped by a scalding hold, and suddenly she was on floor, her back aching from the impact.

"Neat trick," Cinder said, conjuring a black sword on her right hand. "But you didn't think I wouldn't be expecting it, did you?"

Cinder brought her sword down, and Blake rolled away to avoid its tip. Getting back up, Blake tossed her ribbon, but Cinder caught it and pulled with tremendous force. Hastily unwrapping her ribbon from her arm, Blake steadied her stance – and aimed her pistol at the Dust Core.

"Oh. You don't want to do that," Cinder said, lowering her sword. "Of course, I would respect you greatly if you did, but we would both be reduced to less than ash."

"Apparently, I don't care what happens to me," Blake retorted. "Knowing the truth doesn't seem that great anymore, does it?"

Cinder's eyes narrowed. She raised her free hand and shot a fireball from it, and before Blake could even fully comprehend what she'd done, she was at the other end of the rooftop, nearly at the edge, her chest burning and Aura fizzling away.

"I see now why Adam is so bitter," Cinder said, walking over to her. "To lose something so precious… It must have stung like nothing else. And through his own fault, no less…" she pointed her sword at Blake's throat. "Any last words?"

Blake clenched her fists. She'd lost her blade and her pistol. The only thing she had left was her Semblance, but it was of little use now. Cinder had her well and truly trapped.

"She won't be needing them."

Cinder turned around, only to have a shield strike her in the nose. She stumbled away, and Blake took the opportunity to get up and run towards her savior at the rooftop's door.

"You're impossible, Blake Belladonna," Pyrrha said, recalling her shield. "You get your kicks from giving me anxiety, don't you?"

"Not my intention," Blake grinned. "How did you get here so fast?"

"I used the elevator," Pyrrha stepped forward. "Cinder Fall! Surrender now, or be prepared to face my fury."

Cinder rubbed her nose half-mindedly and turned to face them. She dropped her hands and summoned a sword in each, then cracked her neck audibly.

"Your fury?" she repeated. "And here I thought you were the gentlest of Beacon agents."

"That's exactly why you should be worried. You're putting the whole world at risk. You almost killed all my friends," Pyrrha said. "Hell yes, I'm pissed off."

"Good," Cinder smiled. "Show me your fury, Invincible Girl."

Pyrrha looked at Blake. "See to the Core."

Blake nodded mutely, and not a second later, Pyrrha took off running towards Cinder, her shield raised in front of her. Cinder held her swords at the ready, preparing for a clash – but Pyrrha did what neither she nor Blake had predicted.

She tackled Cinder with all her strength and launched both of them off the rooftop's edge.

* * *

 It really was something else, the incredulous look on Cinder's face. A pleasure to behold – until she got over her shock and punched Pyrrha in the nose, separating them.

Pyrrha lost her grip on her shield, but she quickly recalled it and struck it against the side of the building, slowing down her fall. It was a rocky descent, but it allowed her to catch her breath, if only a little, and watch as Cinder ignited twin glyphs on her feet and hovered in the air, eyes sweltering with rage.

Pyrrha's fall to a halt, and she hung near the middle of the VNN, calculating her next move. Cinder was doing the same. For a moment, they stared at each other, waiting for the other to act…

Suddenly, Cinder rocketed forward, slamming Pyrrha through the window behind her and into an empty office. Pyrrha rolled onto her knees and raised her shield above her head, blocking a fireball, then got up and threw her shield. Cinder slipped under it and slid into the office, conjuring a flaming sword. With a jerk of her elbow, she launched the returning shield aside, then strode towards Pyrrha.

Not having the time to recall her shield, Pyrrha slid backwards, dodging the first slash, then ducked under the second and threw a punch at Cinder's jaw. The villain stumbled back, and Pyrrha didn't let up, landing another punch to her nose and a knee on her stomach.

A growl escaped Cinder's lips. Her sword faded away, leaving her hands free to close around Pyrrha's throat. Pyrrha tried to scream as she was lifted off the floor, but her voice was lost to her, and as much as she kicked and punched, she couldn't escape. Not only was Cinder's hold incredibly strong, it was also hot – so hot, it would no doubt leave serious scars if it went on any longer.

"That was exhilarating. It's been years since anyone gave me such a challenge," Cinder said, a perverse gleefulness in her voice. "You live up to your reputation, Pyrrha Nikos."

Feeling a new surge of strength, Pyrrha shifted herself upwards and put her feet on Cinder's shoulders, then pulled herself backwards, causing Cinder to lose her balance and fall to the floor. Free, Pyrrha rushed to her feet and recalled her shield, then slid away from her foe to regain her breath.

"Indeed," Cinder got up. "Such a wonder. At the same time, such a waste. You could be so much more, Pyrrha. Beacon is holding you back. You allow Ozpin to order you around in the dark, when you could just reach forward and grasp the light…"

"Shut up. You're insane," Pyrrha said, trembling with fury. "Ozpin is my guide, not my master. It's because of him that I'm standing here today, driving back _your_ darkness."

"You don't know the man behind the curtain," Cinder smiled sadly. "One day, you'll see everything as I do. And then you'll wish you had listened. It'll be too late."

"Never."

Pyrrha dashed forward, bashing her shield on Cinder's cheek, sending her reeling back.

"You know what I think?" Pyrrha spat some blood on the floor, then fixed her eyes on Cinder. "Ozpin is right in his regret. He never should have taken you in, because you were rotten from the very beginning," she grinned. "You _wish_ you were me."

Cinder's eyes lowered, and for a moment, Pyrrha could swear she saw genuine sadness in them. But then they erupted in ire, and Cinder lunged at her, fists ablaze.

* * *

 " _Weiss, can you hear me?_ "

Weiss twisted in the air and dropped down onto a rooftop, wincing as she landed on her knee. Her chaser, a Griffon, followed to try and land a hit on her finally, but he wasn't nearly as nimble as her and overshot his mark, ending up crashing awkwardly on the rooftop. Summoning her rapier, Weiss ran towards the beast and in one clean slash, turned it to smoke.

"Crystal clear," Weiss said, turning on her comms. "Do you require assistance, Blake?"

" _Maybe. I got to the top. Cinder was here, Pyrrha's dealing with her now – if someone could make sure she's okay, that would be great_ ," Blake said. " _Your Dust Core is here. It's fueling the Breach._ "

A feeling of frustration and sorrow welled up inside Weiss. She had predicted just this, but the reality of the situation still hit her like a kick to the gut. Her own invention was enabling all this horror…

" _Weiss? How do I turn it off? Tech is not really my area of expertise_ ," Blake said. " _Although, it does look a little… wilder than before, like it's a touch away from exploding._ '

"Don't try anything!" Weiss urged. "I'll be there in a moment to check it out."

" _Come from the bottom_ ," Blake advised. " _You'll never get past the Grimm guarding the rooftop._ "

"There's no time for that."

Weiss jumped off and landed on a glyph, then flew herself upward and toward the VNN. She stopped just short of meeting the wall of winged Grimm, a slight chill shaking her as dozens of red eyes fell on her. Slowly, she raised her rapier, trying to find a weak point in the Grimm's formation.

A gunshot rang behind her. Weiss looked her shoulder. A flurry of petals spun around in the sky, and at the center of them was Ruby, Crescent Rose at the ready.

"Teammate!"

Ruby shot behind her, propelling herself towards the Grimm. Her scythe cut a Griffon in a half, but then she was launched away by a Nevermore's wing, and nearly half of the flock converged on her. Yet Ruby did not miss a beat, spinning herself upright in the air and taking shots at approaching monsters.

"Now, Weiss!" she shouted.

Weiss nodded and quickly changed the angle of her glyph, then kicked off it, launching herself towards the rooftop. She swung her rapier as a Griffon tried to stop her, hitting it in the eye, then made another glyph above her and bounced off of it, dodging a sharp talon.

She was nearly at the rooftop when a Nevermore suddenly appeared before her and tossed her away with its wing. Weiss started to fall, but then felt something wrap around her leg, and she was yanked back up and fell on her back on the rooftop.

But she had no time to relax, as the Nevermore came flying back at her, apparently too bloodthirsty to obey its orders any longer. Weiss crawled backwards, and the creature's beak pierced the concrete in the space between her legs. She conjured her rapier again – but then Blake appeared, jumping on the Nevermore's head and aiming her Dust pistol at its eye.

She took her shot, and the Nevermore screeched as it stumbled backwards, standing tall on its talons. Blake jumped off and pulled her ribbon from around Weiss' leg, then reattached her blade to the end of it and whipped towards the Nevermore, slashing it across the throat. The Grimm made one last gurgling noise, then fell and turned to smoke.

Blake pulled her blade back and gripped it, then turned to Weiss. "You okay?" she offered her a hand.

A little breathless, Weiss took her hand and stood up. "Yeah. Thanks for saving me."

"Don't mention it."

Weiss nodded. She noticed a red hue on Blake's skin and her own, and looked up to at the Breach above them. Lowering her eyes, she found the Dust Core not too far from them. Like Blake had mentioned, it really wasn't in its regular state of function, and she hesitated to get any closer to it.

"So, can you turn it off?" Blake asked.

"In theory, but…" Weiss paused. "Whatever Cinder did, it's heavily destabilized the Core. The Dust is reacting way too fast, meaning there's a lot more energy being produced, but…"

"The more energy, the less stable it is? And if you stop the reaction…" Blake trailed off.

"Goodbye us. Goodbye Vale, probably." Weiss said.

"What do we do, then? Do we keep fighting until its runs out and the Breach closes on its own?" Blake shook her head. "I don't think we can keep up that much longer, honestly."

"Agreed. Which is why I'm gonna do this the hard way," Weiss braced herself. "The Core produces energy by absorbing the Dust around it and creating a stable loop of the different types collected. The quantity of each type needs to be the same, or else the reaction doesn't work," she conjured a glyph in each hand. "I think I can freeze the Core, which will cause the Dust particles around it to shift to Ice, and when the Core absorbs it…"

"The excess will stop the reaction?" Blake asked. "Is that safe?"

"It _should_ be. Ice Dust isn't nearly as volatile as…" Weiss cast a dubious glance at the Core. "…whatever's happening inside there. But you should probably leave, just in case."

"Forget it," Blake said. "We're teammates. We stand together until the end."

Weiss couldn't find an answer. As if she didn't have enough guilt on her plate, now she had to be reminded of how terrible she had been towards Blake before. That was _not_ a good final thought to have.

Shaking the feeling off, Weiss faced the Core and raised her hands. Focusing her Semblance, she willed her glyphs to grow, then shot twin beams of Dust from them. However, as they got closer to the Core, the beams lost power and dissipated before they could even reach it.

Annoyed, Weiss made her glyphs even bigger and tried again, focusing so hard she felt her entire body trembled from the effort. This time, the beams reached the Core, impacting the globe and arcing around it repeatedly. Ice started to form around it… only to melt and evaporate.

Weiss lowered her hands. "I can't do it."

"You've just gotta try harder," Blake said. "You can do it, Weiss. We're all counting on you."

"It's not about me!" Weiss hissed. "No matter how hard I try, the heat from the Core will just overwhelm my Dust. It's just too much."

"Uhm, maybe I can lend a hand?"

Weiss turned around to see Jaune walking towards them, looking worn out, but free of injury. She could only wonder what he had gotten into that had gotten into this state – he'd probably tripped on the stairs or something.

"And how would _you_ help?" Weiss raised an eyebrow at him. "Not that I don't appreciate the offer, but unless you have an iceberg in your pocket…"

"I can power you up!" Jaune said, pointing at himself genially. "Well, not _you_ technically. I can make your Aura stronger by sharing my own, which means your Semblance gets stronger too."

"Since _when_ can you do that?" Weiss asked critically.

"And why didn't you tell me before? That might have been useful to know when we got attacked." Blake added.

"I mean, how useful would my Semblance really be with you? The most we could do is make a lot of little Blakes," Jaune's eyes widened. "I-I mean…"

"Alright! Let's try it, then," Weiss said, turning back around. "Might as well try every option," she aimed her glyphs at the Core. "Well? How does this-"

Jaune put a hand on her shoulder, and the effect was immediate. Weiss felt the Dust inside her come bursting to the surface, like it had been multiplied tenfold, and it took all her self-control not to release it all at once. Composing herself, she closed the space between her hands, fusing her two glyphs into a single, larger one, then slowly twisted her fingers in a circular motion…

Then, she pushed forward, and unleashed the Dust in a series of waves that washed over the Core like a miniature blizzard. Patches of ice started to appear on the globe, some melting, some staying and growing. Weiss doubled her efforts, and behind her, she heard Jaune gasp, but he didn't let go or faltered for a second.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Weiss dropped her glyph. The Core was completely encased in ice. Through it, Weiss saw the Dust inside slow down, the change of colors becoming sporadic, until it took on a faint blue tone and harmlessly expanded to touch the glass.

"It worked," Blake said. "Good job, guys."

Weiss looked up. The Breach hadn't disappeared, but it had definitely shrunk, and there were no Grimm dropping out of it anymore. Relieved, Weiss let herself smiled.

She hadn't blown up the city.

"Jaune?"

He looked up at her, sitting on the ground to catch his breath. "Yes?"

"…You're the man."

* * *

 Pyrrha held her shield beneath her, softening her fall on the street, and used her Semblance to send it sliding back and away, letting herself be carried by it. She heard a crash and looked up to see Cinder had landed where she'd just been, the concrete under her shattered by an outstretched fist.

Pyrrha rolled backwards and got back on her feet, raising her shield as she did so. She was immediately rewarded for it as it blocked a blast of fire. Even so, the projectile sent her reeling back, and the hand with which she held her shield got uncomfortably lost.

She lowered her shield just enough to look at her foe. Cinder was standing still, muscles tensed and with fires arcing around her hands, yet she barely looked tired. Tiny embers flowed from the tips of her eyes.

"Tired already?" Cinder asked. "Or have you lost your fighting spirit?"

With a kick, Pyrrha sent a nearby traffic sign flying at Cinder, who conjured two swords and cut through it. Her soles igniting, Cinder dashed at Pyrrha, swinging with both weapons at once. Pyrrha stood her ground and lifted her shield above her head, blocking the slashes.

The Beacon agent had no chance to counter-attack as a series of stabs and slashes falling on her. She moved her shield just as fast, but every attack that she parried sent shockwaves through her body and drove her further back. If her shield weren't Omnium, without a doubt it would have shattered.

And then a strike came that was too powerful for her. Her shield went flying and landed somewhere outside her vision, and Pyrrha stumbled back, struggling to find her balance. Cinder stepped forward, bringing a sword towards her throat…

Ruby reformed between them, parrying the attack with her scythe. For a moment, they were stuck in a deadlock, each trying to overpower the other. Slowly, Ruby started to lose, being driven low by Cinder's superior force, but she didn't let go of her scythe.

A smile appeared on Ruby's lips. "Heh." She pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose and flew under Cinder's missed swing, slamming against her full-on.

Cinder went rolling on the floor, losing her swords along the way, and a few second later they dissolved into embers. She hit a car with her back, denting it, and stood up, shaking and releasing waves of heat.

"You brat! I'll teach you not to-"

A burst of fire launched her back at the car. Yang appeared at the opposite end of the street from Ruby and Pyrrha, her fist held out with the vestiges of a fire. Her eyes were red, and her hair was flowing like flames.

"What were you about to say?" she asked. "Oh, right. I don't care."

Yang stomped towards Cinder, quickly gaining speed. Cinder conjured a bow and shot and arrow at her, but Yang slapped it aside and kept going. She threw a running punch, but Cinder jumped and flipped over her, landing behind and enclosing her fist in flames.

As Yang turned around, she was hit in the chest by the most powerful punch she'd ever taken. She went flying backwards, crashing throwing the entrance of a building and falling amidst a mess of shattered glass, wood and brick.

"That's my sister, you jerk!" Ruby yelled, appearing above her with her scythe already on the way to her skull.

Cinder slid backwards, and Crescent Rose slammed against the ground, letting fly shards of concrete everywhere.

"That was touching," Cinder backhanded Ruby, and the girl went rolling away, losing her scythe. Cinder walked towards her, conjuring a sword once more. "I tried to warn you, Ruby, yet here we are."

"Get away from her!" Pyrrha jumped over Ruby, aiming a kick at Cinder. The villain grabbed her leg and tossed her aside, then stopped before Ruby, who was just getting back on her feet.

Ruby swung a punch, but Cinder caught it effortlessly and shoved her back. As Ruby fell, Cinder caught her by the collar and lifted her off her feet, locking eyes with her.

"Oh, little hero. I do admire your spirit," Cinder said softly. "Usually I enjoy doing this sort of thing, but killing you… it leaves a sick feeling in my stomach," she dropped her. "Oh, well."

She drove her sword towards the girl's heart - only for it to pass through a cloud of rose petals. Cinder stumbled forward, her eyes widening. Then a freezing sensation hit her on the back, and she was shoved to the ground.

Weiss lowered her glyph onto the street, and both herself, Blake, and Jaune stepped off. Ruby reformed near Crescent Rose and picked it up, then went to join them.

"Sorry for the lateness," Weiss said. "We were busy making sure the city wasn't obliterated."

"You turned off the Core?" Ruby looked up. "Why's the Breach still there, then?"

"Well, I am _sorry_ , but things just didn't work out that perfectly." Weiss huffed.

"It should close on its own soon," Pyrrha said, stumbling towards them. "It's not unusual for Breaches to stay even after the Grimm stop coming out. Maybe because this one is so big, it-"

Suddenly, Cinder got up and released a massive wave of fire in all directions. Ruby boosted herself above it, while Pyrrha covered herself with her shield and Weiss summoned a glyph to protect herself, Blake and Jaune.

"Do you _really_ think you've accomplished anything?!" Cinder exclaimed. "You might have killed the Grimm and stopped the Core, but that's nothing! You want to know why that Breach lingers above us? It's because the people you've _saved_ are afraid. I've _taught_ them to be afraid, and soon, the whole world will be taken by fear!" she paused, a broken smile gracing her lips. "Everything you've done is meaningless. It's over."

Everyone fell silent. Weiss let go of her glyph and let her hands fall to her sides, while beside her, Jaune clenched his fists in helpless anger. Blake bowed her head. Pyrrha turned away, as if she couldn't stand to look at Cinder anymore. Yang limped back onto the street and joined them without saying a word, her eyes back to violet.

"You're wrong," Ruby stepped forward. "It's what _you've_ done that's meaningless. So what if you showed the Grimm to the world? Yeah, that's bad – it's awful, even. But awful stuff happens every day, and we don't just fall apart and give up because of it! Even if the whole world looks like it's falling apart, we keep going. We keep moving forward," she pointed Crescent Rose at Cinder. "And that's what we'll do now that we've stopped you. And when the next jerk like you comes along, we'll stop them too. No matter how strong you are, no matter where you run to, we will find you – and we _will_ stop you."

For a long time, Cinder just stared at her, her expression unreadable. Then suddenly, she smiled and started to raise her hands, and everyone prepared to fend off whatever her next attack would be.

"I surrender."

Jaune nearly dropped his pistol. "W-what?"

"I surrender." Cinder repeated, holding her hands high.

"Okay, she's gotta be bullshitting us," Yang said. "No way we're going to trust you. Why would you surrender like that?"

"It's gotta be a trap," Weiss summoned her rapier. "I say we kick her ass anyway."

"We certainly could resume our fight. With you six together, you might just beat me. I'm not sure which side would win, to be honest, and while I am curious to find out…" Cinder shrugged. "Like we've established, it's meaningless either way," she waved her hands. "You may do whatever you want with me. I won't resist."

"Uh… okay, then?" More than a little confused, Ruby folded Crescent Rose. "I… don't really know what to do now, actually."

"Oh, I know!"

Yang walked over to Cinder – who seemed rather amused by her approach – and punched her in the face, knocking her out cold.

"…I did call dibs."

* * *

 Glynda's airship landed in Vale and lowered its back, opening the way for the Beacon troops. They immediately went to fulfill their orders – help stray injured people, fix any damage in the streets that was of immediate concerns, and make sure no Grimm remained on the loose.

Once they were all gone, the Commander herself left the ship, holding herself up by her crutches. She looked around, and though she had followed the progress of things while preparing the relief efforts, she was still impressed by how peaceful things looked. Of course, the streets were still a mess, but she had expected much worse of such an unfortunate incident.

It didn't take her long to find the team – she only had to follow the camera flashes and the clamoring of the people. She pushed through the crowd in front of the VNN… and saw the six of them sitting in a circle around the unconscious Cinder Fall and her two allies. A circular glyph from Weiss was keeping the media and civilians out.

…For some reason, they were all on their phones.

Holding back a sigh, Glynda knocked on the glyph. Ruby looked up, and her lips parted in a wide smile. She poked Weiss, who looked very annoyed for a moment before she made a small hole in the glyph for Glynda to slip through.

"Miss Goodwitch! I mean, Commander!" Ruby stood up. "We stopped Cinder and the Grimm! Aren't you proud?"

"You could have caused less property damage," Glynda said sternly. "This is going to be a nightmare to deal with."

"It's not my fault!" Yang yelled.

"I wasn't singling you out, Miss Xiao Long," Glynda raised an eyebrow at her. "It's no one's fault, anyway. You did your best. I _am_ proud of all of you."

Ruby released a loud squeal and hugged her. Blake looked at her quizzically, then turned to Pyrrha. "That's our same leader who gave the rousing speech about fighting evil and always moving forward?"

"Indeed," Pyrrha chuckled. "She's a very special girl."

Glynda gently pushed Ruby away, then looked around at the others.

"Just _what_ are you doing?" she asked. "I know teens are obsessed with their cellphones, but this is ridiculous."

"We're setting up a group chat so we can keep in touch!" Yang said excitedly. "We're trying to settle on a name, but Weiss doesn't like any of my ideas. What do you think of _Ice Queen and her Minions_?"

"We're _not_ going with that!" Weiss protested.

" _Five Hotties and a Dork_?"

"That's objectifying."

" _RWBY, plus Pyrrha and Jaune_."

"Ruby doesn't need any more of an ego."

Glynda sighed, then snatched Yang's phone from her hands and quickly typed out a name. She returned the phone, and Yang looked at it critically.

"That's alright, but… kinda boring."

"It's not boring," Weiss argued. "I think it's poignant, in a way."

"Poignant? What does that even mean?" Yang snickered. "You're such a nerd."

"I am not-"

"Guys! Stop arguing!" Ruby interrupted. "I like the name. As team leader, I declare we will keep it."

"Can we do holiday variations at least?" Yang pleaded. "And find some way to make fun of Jaune while we're at it?"

"Hey!" Jaune exclaimed. "How many times do I have to - you know what, forget it. I'm just gonna accept it at this point."

"Fine. But you'll have to run it through me first," Ruby said. "Alright! So," she bowed at the group. "We are _The Hunt_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Jaune's Semblance: it works just like in the show, with him empowering someone else's Aura with his own. In this universe, this means he can accelerate healing (like canon) and empower other Semblances. But since the show hasn't explored how he might interact with someone without Aura, I chose to do my own take on it. Jaune did not unlock Lisa Lavender's Aura or Semblance. He simply lent part of his Aura to her, and when she was healed, it returned to him (and the part that was spent, she can never replenish on her own).
> 
> Also, he has a lot of freaking Aura. That's very useful too! But don't be getting cocky, Jauney-boy. You're still my favorite butt monkey.


	8. Together Apart

" _Today marks one week since a breach opened in the sky above this very building and let loose a terrible attack on the city of Vale. It's been a difficult time not only for the citizens of Vale, but for the whole world."_

_"Many questions remain unanswered after the wake of the attack. What exactly are the so-called creatures of Grimm? How long have they been hunting mankind without us even knowing it? And their herald, the now imprisoned Cinder Fall – who is she; what is her relation to Beacon; and what was the goal behind her act of terrorism?"_

_"We learn more every day, yet every day we realize how little we actually know. The world is facing an age of fear and distrust like never seen before. Only one thing is certain – we are not safe."_

_"But for a moment, let us forget about the darkness that encloses around us, and let us remind ourselves of the hope that remains. Remember how the citizens of Vale did not fall to panic and chaos, as their attacker would have intended. Remember the first responders that rushed head-first into danger to save countless lives."_

_"Remember the heroes that fought for us when we couldn't do so ourselves. Vale stands today because of them. The world can prepare for the future because of them."_

_"Thank you."_

_"This has been Lisa Lavender, with the Vale News Network. Keep hope alive."_

* * *

Glynda flicked on the lights, and from behind her came a chorus of gasps and whistles. A cloud of petals sped past her, and she caught only glimpses of Ruby as she examined every corner of the apartment floor, poking the sofa, looking out the windows, turning the TV on and off…

The others followed in a much more controlled manner, to her gratitude. It wouldn't bode well for the future if the apartment turned into the aftermath of a warzone one day into their stay.

"All this, just for us?" Yang asked, twiddling her thumbs nervously. "Isn't this a little… excessive?"

"I thought it was small, actually," Weiss said, pausing to look at the chandelier above the sofa. "We might have to get that removed because of Ruby."

"Hey!" Ruby popped up at her side just briefly enough to poke her in the shoulder, then disappeared to another corner of the room.

"Of course _you_ would think it's small," Yang said. "I'm not complaining, it's just… I don't know. We're just six people. How much space do we really need, you know?"

"For now," Glynda said. "There's always room for more."

"Oh, great," Weiss sighed. "Because these five aren't trouble enough on their own."

Jaune opened a door and peeked in, then immediately closed it and pressed his back to it. Pyrrha looked at him worriedly, then pulled him aside to open the door.

"What is it?" Yang asked. "Is there a Grimm in there or something?"

"No, it's just a kitchen," Pyrrha said. "A pretty big kitchen."

"Pretty big? We could fit a truck inside there!" Jaune exclaimed.

"That's great! I love cooking!" Yang said. "I'm gonna make so much good stuff, you guys have no idea what's coming your way."

"As long as you don't set the place on fire…" Weiss muttered.

Blake stayed a little farther from the others, looking around in silence. Spending a week with everyone had somewhat eased her to the concept of being part of a team, yet now she was suddenly feeling very small.

"You okay, Blake?" Ruby stopped beside her, her excitement over the new place giving way to genuine concern. "You look kinda uncomfortable."

"I'm fine. This just caught me off-guard, I guess," Blake said. "You saw my place back in Vacuo. It's a big jump from _that_ to _this_."

"Yeah, I see what you mean. My house's nothing like this either," Ruby said. "But it's a pretty cool place. And what's even cooler is that we'll all be living together!"

Blake gave her a tentative smile. "That does sound cool, Ruby."

A ding came from the elevator at the entrance of the apartment. A few moments later, Ozpin stepped out with this trusty cane at his side. Everyone gathered at the living room again. They hadn't been made aware anyone would be visiting, much less the Director of Beacon.

"I see they've done a fantastic job repurposing this floor, and quite swiftly too," Ozpin said. The building itself was Beacon's branch in Vale, near the center of the city. "I hope the place is to your liking?"

"Weiss says it's too small," Yang said, smiling at her scarred teammate. Weiss' only response was to glare at her.

"Well, if you would like any changes to be made, you can just talk to Glynda. Anything you need, she's your person. She'll be around often to check in on you," Ozpin smirked. "Like a nanny, you could say."

Glynda grimaced, but otherwise refused to acknowledge his statement. Whether it was out of respect for her boss, or because she was ashamed, no one could tell.

"Now, as you know, we aren't offering you this place just so you have a nice place to live, though that is a sizeable bonus," Ozpin said. "We've equipped this floor with all the best technology you'll need to track Breaches and Surges, on top of human threats. You'll also find plenty of space to train and exercise, and you'll always have agents ready to transport you wherever you need to be."

"What about groceries?" Yang snickered.

Ozpin turned to Glynda. She stared beggingly at him, then rolled her eyes to the ceiling and sighed. "…I'll be taking care of that."

"Miss Goodwitch! You're like the team mom!" Ruby clapped excitedly.

Glynda couldn't have looked more miserable if she had been told she had been demoted to the janitorial staff.

"All of this sounds great," Weiss said, crossing her arms. "And the catch?"

"Again, Miss Schnee, there is no catch. Beacon will be offering all it can to support your team as it works to make the world a safer place, and that is where our influence ends," Ozpin said. "The Hunt will be completely autonomous, always."

"And when the day comes when we do something you don't approve of?" Blake asked.

"I'll be a little miffed, I'm sure, but I don't think you'll care," Ozpin shrugged. "After all, I'm not your boss."

He nodded towards Ruby. She smiled coyly and looked at the others, eliciting a small groan from Weiss.

"Now, if I may talk to Ruby, Pyrrha and Jaune alone for a moment," Ozpin requested.

Weiss opened her mouth to object, but Yang grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the kitchen, saying something about making a celebratory cake. Blake followed them with the look of someone about to witness something spectacular.

"Sir?" Pyrrha asked when they were alone. "Is this about us being agents of Beacon?"

"Indeed," Ozpin said. "I'm afraid if the Hunt is to keep its autonomy, you can't be allowed to be a member of it and an agent of Beacon at the same time. You three have a choice to make, then."

"Well, working with Beacon _was_ pretty cool, but it's not like I was doing it full-time anyway. And I was only killing Grimm, which is what we'll be doing now, right?" Ruby nodded. "Yep, I'm staying with the team. Sorry, Miss Goodwitch," she giggled. "Guess I don't have to call you Commander anymore, eh?"

"I'm overjoyed." Glynda deadpanned.

"If it has to be a choice… I suppose I'll follow Ruby," Pyrrha said. Crossing eyes with the Director, she bowed her head suddenly and clenched her fists. "I know it should be a hard choice. But this is what you wanted of me all along, isn't it, sir?"

"What I want and don't want isn't the point," Ozpin laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "What matters is what you want, Pyrrha."

"Thank you, sir. I'll be staying then," Pyrrha looked up, hesitating for the briefest of moments before stepping forward and hugging him. "Cinder couldn't be more wrong about you."

Ozpin's lips parted in a small smile. Pyrrha parted from him, hugged Glynda – who, for once, didn't disguise the joy she felt – then stepped back to stand beside Ruby and Jaune, wiping a tear off her eye.

"And what about you, Mister Arc?" Ozpin said, leaning into his cane. "Which path shall you be taking?"

"I… was actually meaning to talk to you, sir," Jaune said, shaking. "Even before the whole thing with Cinder, but… I kept putting it off. And then we had all those Grimm to hunt all around the world and I just went along with it…"

"Hmm," Ozpin glanced at Glynda. "Perhaps you would like to discuss this matter privately?"

Jaune looked back at Ruby and Pyrrha, wanting nothing more than to take the proposal, but their looks of both confusion and encouragement stopped him. They deserved better than a coward, and whatever followed, he would just have to deal with it.

"No. Ruby should know too, seeing as she's the leader. You too, Pyrrha – you of all people should know," Jaune took a deep breath. "Director Ozpin, I… cheated my way into Beacon."

Ruby tilted her head so far it almost became parallel to the floor, while Pyrrha held back a soft gasp.

"I faked my credentials. And my resume. And the entrance exam results…" Jaune's voice became quieter the longer he went on. "Turns out you can get away with a lot of stuff if you're a good enough hacker…"

"Is that so?" Ozpin tapped his cane. "My, my. Can you believe this, Glynda? He _hacked_ his way into Beacon."

"Simply astounding, sir," Glynda replied dryly. "He fooled us all. I could not be more offended."

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to – well, I _did_ mean to – but it's not like I think you guys are dumb or…" Jaune stopped himself, taking a second look at Ozpin's amused expression. "Wait, you're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"Good-natured fun," Ozpin said. "Sincerely, Mister Arc, I'm the head of the world's leading intelligence and security organization. I deal with individuals _far_ more skilled at this _hacking_ business than you on a daily basis," he shook his head. "I am a little offended that you thought you'd fooled me."

"Oh. So… why did you accept me, then?" Jaune asked.

"Believe it or not, but most people are… _sensible_ enough not to try to fool Beacon," Glynda said. "Yet you, an eighteen-year-old boy who had never as much as touched a gun before in his life, had the gall to do it. Now, if it had been my choice, I would have laughed your little attempt off and promptly forgotten your name. But as your luck would have it…"

"I was on the case that day, and I thought…" Ozpin smiled. "Why not? The worst you could do is make a fool of yourself."

"Which you did," Glynda interjected. "Numerous times."

"But you proved yourself eventually, and look where you are today. You helped save the world, Mister Arc. Lisa Lavender and many others owe their life to you."

"She'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life," Jaune muttered. "Yay me."

"We all fall short sometimes. I should know better than most," Ozpin said. "But I did not make a mistake when I accepted you."

Jaune shook his head. He had often wondered if there was something off inside the Director's head, or if he just had a very unique view of life. Whatever the answer was, Jaune had benefitted greatly from it. He only wished he could be more grateful about it.

The least he could do, he supposed, was to make the best of the chances he had been given.

"Alright, so you aren't mad or anything about what I did. But a lot of stuff still doesn't make sense!" Jaune stated. "I mean, it's one thing to have a little faith in someone, but there were a lot of times where I seriously could have died! Not to mention you trusted me with the Grimm. And what, it was just luck that I turned out to have a Semblance-"

Something started beeping. Ozpin raised a finger, then retrieved his Scroll from his pocket. "Ah. Seems like I must be making my leave. The World Council hasn't given me an hour's rest since Cinder's attack," he nodded at Jaune. "We'll have to continue this conversation at a later time."

"But sir!" Jaune objected, but Ozpin was already making his way to the elevator. "Miss Goodwitch!"

"I'm afraid I'll be needing Glynda's support today," Ozpin said, holding open the door for his Sub-Director. "You'll have your nanny back by tomorrow."

"You're overdoing it, _sir_." Glynda warned through gritted teeth.

"Have a good night. You six deserve to relax a little after everything you've gone through," Ozpin said. "And don't forget – I expect great things of you."

The doors closed, and the elevator went down. Jaune threw his hands up in frustration. He was actually _glad_ he was out of Beacon. At least now he wouldn't have to deal with Ozpin's weirdness.

"You think he really has a meeting with the World Council, or did someone just bail him out?" Ruby asked curiously. "Pyrrha? You know him best."

"It's cute that you think I could tell," Pyrrha replied. "The most important thing about to know about Director Ozpin is that you don't know Director Ozpin."

"That doesn't sound like a good work environment," Ruby crossed her arms. "Oh, well! Let's go check out what they're doing in the kitchen!"

"W-wait!" Jaune called. "What about what I just… you know! The thing about me being a cheater and all that! You're not mad?"

"Hmm… nope," Ruby shrugged. "I don't think it matters how you got here, Jaune. We're better with you. And who would we make fun of if you left?"

"Right…" Jaune gulped. "Pyrrha?"

"You know I couldn't be mad at you if I tried, Jaune," Pyrrha chuckled. "You're the most wonderful person I know. I couldn't imagine my life without you! You… make me a better person," she blushed. "So… yeah, I'm not mad…"

Jaune smiled at her. "Okay! Let's check out the kitchen, then!"

He strode past them and into the kitchen, leaving the two alone in the living room. Ruby slowly edged away from Pyrrha, a little worried about the expression on the older girl's face. It was like the perfect mixture of unbridled rage, shock, and sorrow.

"Ruby, why can't he take a hint?!" Pyrrha blurted out.

"Huh?" Ruby blinked. "Oh! I didn't know you liked Jaune that way!"

A second later, Ruby burst into the kitchen, nearly knocking Yang over.

"Woah, sis! What happened?" Yang asked. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"Yang… you don't wanna know."

* * *

Sat down behind his desk, Ozpin refrained from sighing as he half-listened to the holograms of the World Council prattle on about the aftermath of the Battle of Vale and the many, _many_ misgivings they had about him.

It was not that he didn't care, because he most certainly did. His job, and in turn the safety of the world, was on the line. Things could change drastically depending on how the councilmembers felt by the end of the conference. And yet…

There were things so important he could be seeing to right now. People to talk to, question to be made. He had a lot of time on his hands – but it wasn't unlimited. There was a clock, and he was acutely aware of it ticking away…

" _-and behind it all, a rogue Beacon agent!_ " Councilmember Lionheart went on. " _Sincerely, Director Ozpin, you are lucky that information hasn't been leaked to the public. We would not be having this conversation if that had happened, that's for sure._ "

"We should count our luck, then," Ozpin said. "Cinder has caused a lot of damage, but nothing that we is beyond our capacity to control. In a way, her revelation is as helpful as it is damning. Without the need for secrecy, Beacon can do that much more to thwart the Grimm."

" _Director, I appreciate your optimism, but that doesn't change the fact that people and cities all around the world are falling under attack by the Grimm,_ " Lionheart wiped his brow, and Ozpin saw his hand was shaking a great deal. " _No one blames you for the actions of a madwoman, but you have a responsibility to respond to the fallout that cannot be put aside_."

"And I am not putting it aside. As we speak, Beacon agents all around the globe are fighting to protect the victims you've mentioned. The world will never be the same, but with great effort, we will stabilize," Ozpin paused. "And let's not forget the people who saved Vale. They're still with us, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future."

" _Right. The Hunt, is that how they call themselves?_ " Ironwood spoke up. " _Ozpin, you cannot secretly form an elite squad of superpowered people and use that to placate our very real worries. These are unknown and untested individuals, and we cannot be asked to rely on them, especially when they are under your control._ "

"If you are worried that I will use them for my own selfish reasons, I can assure you, yours fears are unfounded," Ozpin said. "The Hunt and Beacon are completely separate entities. They don't take orders from me. And should the day come that I am tempted to abuse our relationship – well, if you knew them, you wouldn't be worrying about it."

" _Even so, Director. They are only children,_ " Lionheart said. " _How we trust children? More importantly, how can we ask them to fight for us? If they were like your regular agents, the matter wouldn't be so complicated, but…_ "

"It is because of their youth that I believe they're the ones who will save us," Ozpin stood up. "Remnant doesn't need jaded old spies or weaponized tin men to defend it, it needs people who see the very best in it, so they understand what they are fighting for."

He grabbed his cane and hovered his finger over the button to end the conference. Frankly, he was quite done for the day.

"The Hunt are the very people they protect. And that is why they won't fail."

" _But if they do fail?_ " Ironwood asked. " _What then, Ozpin?_ "

"They won't," Ozpin said. "Have a little faith, General."

* * *

After an attempt by Yang at baking a cake, which failed spectacularly due to Weiss's unsolicited _help_ , the group decided instead to order in some pizza. Truthfully, they were all a little relief that they weren't having a big, fancy dinner.

The fight never ended, was the thing they had quickly learned after Cinder's downfall. Whether it be in Vale, Vacuo, Mistral, or Atlas, there were always Grimm to be exterminated, and they did so without a complaint. It was a job that needed to be done. But it was good to have a moment to just sit down and relax.

It made it all worth it.

"I'm serious. He just stabbed me with the syringe and that was it," Weiss said, wiping her mouth. "I could have asked him to jump from the roof and he would have done it, I bet."

"That's kinda unfair. It was a very stressful situation for the two of us," Jaune objected. "And you shouldn't make fun of me for that! I thought you were dead, you know? You just collapsed and wouldn't respond!"

" _Oops! Just killed Weiss Schnee!_ " Yang put her hand on her head, mocking Jaune's voice. " _What a terrible day!_ "

"That was my exact train of thought!" Jaune gestured at her. "Maybe not the last part. Mostly."

"What about you, Pyrrha?" Ruby asked. "How did you unlock your Semblance?"

"I was upset at my father and flicked my toy train at his face. It broke his nose," Pyrrha grimaced. "Turns out they make those out of some very thick metal. He wasn't that mad though. He was actually really happy that I was special!"

"My father also told me I was special when I was kid," Jaune said. "I don't think she meant it in the same way, but it cheered me up too at the time."

Ruby giggled and took another bite of her pizza. "I jumped in front of a car and then, _whoosh_ , I wasn't in front of the car anymore. Red Bolt was born!"

Yang spat out her drink. "Wait, you jumped in front of a car?!"

"Not on purpose! I was sick and distracted! You know how it happened, Yang!"

"Well excuse me for worrying about you!"

Everyone laughed. Jaune leaned forward to cut himself another slice of pizza, then turned towards Blake.

"What about you, Blake? I bet your story is super interesting."

"It is," Blake put her slice back in her plate and looked around at everyone. "I was kidnapped by a group of scientists when I was seven. They took faunus children and experimented on them, tried to unlock their Semblances. The experiments were really horrible – many of the children didn't survive. I must have been pretty tough, because they experimented on me a lot, and eventually I went in without taking my pain medication… and my Semblance finally came out. They still experimented on me after that, but then me, Adam and the other kids escaped, and he killed all the scientists."

Silence. Blake picked up her slice and took a bite.

"This is some delicious pizza."

Jaune slowly sank into his seat, never having felt so much regret before in his life.

"Anyway!" Yang cleared her throat. "I wish I had a cool story, but it was actually very confusing when my Semblance unlocked. My powers aren't very showy, unless I'm shooting fire, but that takes a lot."

"Didn't you come crying to uncle Qrow saying you were a werewolf-zombie-shark?" Ruby asked.

"A what?" Jaune blinked. "I mean, I get the werewolf-zombie part, but shark? Wouldn't you just die because you were out of the water?"

"I never did that! That's just a dumb joke uncle Qrow made up." Yang huffed.

"Wait, uncle Qrow as in, Qrow Branwen?" Pyrrha asked. "The one with the bad luck Semblance?"

"That's the one! Pretty much our entire family has a Semblance," Ruby said. "My mom had the same one as me. Apparently, Yang's mom _also_ has a Semblance, whoever and wherever she is…"

"Man, going home is going to be awkward…" Yang sighed.

Ruby looked down at the pizza box. It was running out quickly – they had underestimated how much six post-Grimm-hunting people could eat. Even Weiss, who by her own admission wasn't much of an eater, had been devouring slice after slice, to the point of competing with Ruby.

"I really, really wish I could stay with you guys…" Ruby said. "Stupid school. I don't even see why I need it anymore, how's Math and English gonna help me kill Grimm?"

"I would expect our leader to be at least decently educated." Weiss said.

"It's not like it'll take that long, Ruby," Yang pointed out. "Just a few months more. You'll be partying it up with the rest of us in no time!"

"Not everyone," Blake said. "I'm not sure I'll be sticking around for much longer."

"What?!" Yang jumped up on the sofa, inadvertently kicking away Ruby's pizza, much to her dismay. "Why, Blake? How could you do this to our friendship?!"

"Don't be so dramatic. I'm not leaving the team completely. You can count on me if stuff comes up in Vacuo, which I'm sure it will," Blake paused, choosing her words carefully. "It's just… Things haven't been this bad for the faunus in a _long_ time. We've all seen the news. And we never found Adam… wherever he is, he will only make things worse. I can't turn my back on all of that."

"That sucks, but… I understand," Yang said. "Good luck with everything."

"If you ever need any help, you can call on any of us. Just keep in contact," Pyrrha added. "And if you don't, I'll personally check in on you. Don't doubt me. I know you, Blake Belladonna."

Blake rolled her eyes, even as a little smirk took form. It was good to be accepted – even if by such a strange bunch of characters.

"I'm afraid I'll be absent a lot too," Weiss said. "I have responsibilities as the heiress of the SDC. And, to be frank, I'm needed there now more than ever. I can already imagine the schemes my father is coming up with to profit with everything's that happened."

"That dude is _not cool_ ," Yang shook her head. "And what's up with the 'stache? Does he _want_ to look like an evil douchebag?"

"Trust me, you don't know the half of it," Weiss sighed. "I will try to show up here as often as I can, though."

"We'll keep your bed warm for you!" Yang exclaimed eagerly.

"…Please don't."

Ruby frowned. "So for a while, it'll just be Yang, Pyrrha and Jaune here in the… uh… Hunting Perch?"

"The heck? Ruby, that's a terrible name for a superhero base," Yang said. "I propose _Jaune's Dream Home_."

"Huh?" Jaune looked at her, half a pizza slice hanging off his mouth. "I don't get it."

"Don't play dumb. You're sharing a house with five hot chicks, and all of them can kick your ass," Yang explained. "Not to mention Miss Goodwitch is gonna be dropping by all the time! She's pretty easy on the eyes too."

"I mean, you can think whatever you want, but having lived with seven sisters in a house much smaller than this apartment for most of my life, I'm mostly indifferent," Jaune turned and winked at Weiss. " _Mostly_."

Horrified, Weiss got up and walked so the sofa was between her and Jaune.

Blake met eyes with Jaune and nodded. "Smooth."

* * *

The night went on, the pizza was finished, and one by one, they left to explore their rooms in the apartment and get their much-deserved sleep. The first to go was Jaune, the second was Pyrrha, then Yang left and dragged Ruby along with her.

And so Weiss and Blake found themselves alone in the living room, sitting across each other, and for a long time, neither of them said anything. Fighting together and being a part of the same group had helped them soften up to each other's presence, but there was still a tension between of which both were aware. It had been easy to ignore so far, but they couldn't anymore now that they were alone.

"Blake, I'm…" Weiss said, drawing the courage to start the conversation. "I know I've already apologized, but I am very sorry for my past attitude. Regardless of the circumstances, it was inexcusable of me to single you out and… equate you to Adam Taurus and his people."

Blake shifted in her seat. A second later, she got up and walked away, and for a moment Weiss feared she was going to leave without acknowledging her. But Blake didn't. She stopped before a window and looked out at the city below, her back turned to Weiss.

"It's okay. You were working only with what you knew, and I didn't do much to help myself there," she said. "The truth is, you weren't so wrong. Adam and I used to be inseparable, or at least that's how I thought of us. I realize now our relationship was much more one-sided, but that's beside the point. He meant a lot to me. I'm ashamed to admit he still does," Blake closed her eyes. "I always knew there was something wrong with him, but I stayed anyway. What does that make of me?"

"I know a thing or two about being attached to someone you despise," Weiss said, going to stand beside her. "Some days, I look in the mirror and see my father. There's a part of me that will always belong to him. I've accepted that. But it doesn't mean I'm him."

"Back when I was with the White Fang, your father was like the image of the devil himself. I met a lot of people, and I mean _a lot_ , that were hurt by him. Even when I left, that stuck with me, and I don't think that was wrong, necessarily," Blake said. "You are not your father."

Weiss bowed her head. Hearing those words shouldn't impact her that much, but it did. Blake was a near-stranger to her. Yet in a way, she was a lot more than that.

"The White Fang aren't all like Adam or me, by the way," Blake said. "Most of them just want to live good lives. Please remember that."

"I will. I already have a lot on my plate for when I go back home, but I will," Weiss nodded. "Blake, we might be from very different worlds, but… I'm glad I met you. I hope we get to know each other better."

"I'm sure the opportunity will come," Blake turned and shook her hand. "You're one of a kind, Ice Queen."

Weiss' lips twisted in annoyance for a moment, but then she shook her head and smiled. "I think I'll retire now. I must be going soon in the morning tomorrow. If we don't see each other then… farewell, and good luck. Oh, and what Pyrrha said about calling for help if you need it – that extends to me too, okay?"

"Why wouldn't it?" Blake tilted her head slightly.

"I'm just making sure."

Blake hummed a little, then returned to gazing at the city. Weiss started walking away, but a feeling that had persisted within her from the moment she decided she wouldn't be staying made her stop and turn back around.

"You know, Blake," she said. "Fighting Grimm, saving people… it was scary, yet also so fulfilling. I really wish I could stay."

"Funny." In the glass' reflection, Weiss saw Blake smile. "I was just thinking the same thing."

* * *

By the time Ruby woke up the next day, both Weiss and Blake had already left for their respective homes in Atlas and Vacuo. She was a little sad that she hadn't gotten a proper farewell with them, but the knowledge that they could still talk through their Scrolls made her feel better. That, and she was sure something big would happen eventually that would bring everyone together again.

Was it bad that she was looking forward to that?

After a quick lunch with Yang, Pyrrha and Jaune, they went to the tower's rooftop hangar, where a Beacon jet waited to take the sisters to Patch. Ruby couldn't wait to see her father again and tell him about everything that had happened – she only hoped he didn't freak out at the scary bits.

"You take care of yourself now, okay?" Pyrrha said, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulders as they walked to the jet. "The Grimm are getting worse by the day. I'd hate to hear you got hurt trying to take on more than you can handle."

"Hey, I might not have as much time slaying Grimm as you, but I'm miles ahead of everybody else. _And_ I'm the team leader," Ruby pointed out. "You should be warning Yang. She's the reckless one."

"Oh, please. It runs in the family," Yang ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, Pyrrha, I'll watch her back. You make sure to watch Jaune's…" she winked at Pyrrha. "But we all know you already do plenty of that, right?"

Pyrrha turned away from Jaune so he wouldn't see her blushing cheeks. As always, he seemed totally clueless as to what was actually transpiring around him.

"I'll watch Pyrrha's back too, so don't worry about getting back too soon, Yang!" Jaune said, puffing up his chest.

Pyrrha gasped. "J-Jaune!"

"What?" Jaune frowned. "Did I say something wrong?"

"N-no… Just… I'm touched, that's all." To her credit, Pyrrha managed to look somewhat composed. At this rate, Ruby was worried Pyrrha about her spending a week alone with Jaune. There was a strong possibility that one of them wouldn't survive it unscathed.

"We'll be going, then!" Yang exclaimed cheerfully. "Have fun, you two!"

"See you when I'm done being a prisoner – I mean a student!" Ruby hopped inside the jet, and Yang followed right after her.

A few minutes, the jet took off, leaving Pyrrha and Jaune alone in the hangar.

"So. I guess it's just us now," Jaune said. "Any idea of what to do?"

"I don't know. There aren't any urgent Breaches nearby for us to deal with, and there's no one to assign us missions…" Pyrrha put her hands on her hips. "What does someone who didn't become a spy when they were a child usually do in their free time?"

"They watch movies and play videogames?" Jaune suggested.

"I don't know if I'm any good at videogames."

"Don't worry. I'll go easy on you," Jaune looked away. "And later… I've been thinking about how you helped build Ruby's weapon, and I was wondering if…" he shook his head. "Nevermind. Videogames first, then a movie, _then_ we'll see about that. Sound good?"

Pyrrha smiled. "That sounds grand."

* * *

Two hours later, the jet landed at Beacon's Patch headquarters, and from there, Ruby and Yang walked the rest of the way home. They didn't talk much. Yang was feeling nervous, and by extension, so was Ruby.

When they arrived, Yang stopped before the door, looking at the house like it was haunted. Ruby hopped over to the doorbell and ringed it, then went back to Yang and took her hand.

A few seconds passed, and the door opened. Their father stepped out and stared at them, a surprised expression on his face. Ruby waved awkwardly with her free hand, while Yang recoiled at his gaze and edged to her sister.

And then he stepped forward and hugged them. Ruby squealed happily and hugged one of his arms. Yang opened her mouth, but no words came out. There were tears welling up in her eyes, and she made no effort to hide them.

"You kids. I swear, you get me so worried, one day you'll give me a heart attack," he stepped back. "I'm so proud of you two."

"You know?" Ruby asked, twitching excitedly. "Did – did Miss Goodwitch tell you or something?"

"Nope. I was watching what happened in Vale, and there was no way I wouldn't recognize you," Taiyang said. "I'm afraid your secret identity's busted, kiddo. You were a little famous before. The whole world knows you now, and a mask and a cape aren't gonna cut it."

"Oh, well. I'm pretty sure most people around here already suspected me, anyway," Ruby shrugged. "School's going to be awkward. Not that it wasn't already…"

"I wouldn't worry about it. I'm not the only one proud of the hometown heroes."

He turned to look at Yang, who still seemed shell-shocked by the warm welcome.

"Ruby, did your sister get whacked in the head or something?"

"D-Dad…" Yang took a deep breath, then did her best to look him in the eyes. "I'm so sorry I left. I was stupid and selfish and I didn't consider how-"

"Uh-uh. That's enough," he hugged her again. "We were both stupid. But that's in the past, okay? You're here. We're all here. That's all that matters."

Yang buried her head in his chest and let her tears flow. Ruby jumped and wrapped her arms around both of them, suddenly finding herself crying too.

Almost two years had passed, but it was like nothing had changed after all.

* * *

The elevator stopped at the bottom floor with a soft click, and the doors opened to the sight of a long, pristine hallway, lit by ghastly torches along the walls. Ozpin walked forward, not sparing a glance at the dozens of Oumnium-reinforced doors he passed. He knew well the monsters trapped behind each of them. They didn't interest him.

Today, he had only one monster in mind.

He reached the cell at the end of the hallway and bent forward to scan his eye and unlock the door. Inside, he took a chair from the corner of the chamber and set near the glass wall that separated it in the middle. He sat and faced the monster.

"Hello, Director."

Cinder Fall crossed her legs and smiled at him. After a week's incarceration, she still looked as self-satisfied as ever. Her eyes glowed like dragonflies in the dim light, and behind them…

"You have questions to ask," she said. "Don't you?"

Ozpin laid his cane across his lap, but kept a hand around its grip. "If I were to ask, would you answer?"

"No. But I would enjoy the interaction," she sighed. "I've been terribly lonely in here."

"I would think you are used to being alone."

"No. I am seldom alone."

The room got darker, and her eyes alighted in a way that was oddly inviting, like they were flames from a family hearth. Ozpin knew better than to believe it was only his imagination.

"You realize, over all these years, we never met? Not even once?" Cinder leaned forward. "I wasn't disappointed, of course. It was my intention to stay out of your sight until I was ready to strike. But I did often fight with the temptation to pay you a personal visit. I was curious what you would say," she shrugged. "It's good I didn't waste my time. You haven't changed at all."

"You talk like you know me," Ozpin said. "What makes you so confident?"

"If I had stormed your ship myself, would you have risen to stop me? Or would you have left the job to your little heroes, as you did with Vale?"

The question hung in the air without a response. Cinder hung back, the tips of her smile twitching ever so slightly.

"The same man as always. You play with your pawns while making yourself the king. You're losing your hold on the game, yet you refuse to change tactics."

"You think you won?" Ozpin asked.

"Absolutely. I opened the gates of hell and plunged the world into chaos. It'll never be the same," Cinder rolled her eyes. "But you disagree?"

"Not entirely. You won, in a way. But the world will grow stronger. Mankind will grow stronger," he replied. "Chaos gives way to order. Villains give way to heroes. I should thank you."

"Right," Cinder's smile faded, and the warmth in her eyes was substituted by utter contempt. " _You should_."

The room dimmed even more. Ozpin stared at Cinder for a moment, then stood up, touching his cane to the floor again.

Cinder blinked, and the room returned to normal.

"That's it, then? No further questions?" she raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not much of an intelligence man, Ozpin."

"My intention was never to interrogate you," Ozpin smiled. "I know I can pry no information from you."

"Then why come here at all?" she rose to her feet, and Ozpin could see that she was truly unsettled. However she had imagined the conversation would go, it hadn't met her expectations.

"I wanted to look you in the eyes and see if the girl was still there."

"Well, then," Cinder stared him down through the glass. "What did you find?"

"…I'm sorry."

He turned and left the chamber, locking the door behind him. Forever.

* * *

Weiss ran a hand through her hair as she gave the documents on her desk a final once-over. There was so much to catch up to and even more new business to familiarize herself with. Just in the few hours of being back, she had been rudely reminded of how demanding her life as heiress was, and right now, the stress was at its peak.

Fighting had been so much easier. Not for the first – or tenth – time since her return, Weiss found herself looking at her Scroll, guiltily hoping for an indication that there were Grimm in the vicinity of Atlas for her to eliminate. But there never were. And as important as that job was, her old job was just as, if not more important.

The world was constantly changing. The SDC, unfortunately, helmed much of that change. It was her duty to make sure the world benefitted from that more than it suffered.

Nodding to herself, Weiss tossed her documents on the trash can and stood up. She smoothed out her suit and raised her chin, prepared for the first of many meetings.

It was time to get back to work.

* * *

Things were bad in Vacuo. They always had been. But the White Fang being attached to a demonic invasion hadn't helped it any. Now, the country was like a bomb waiting to go off – and it was ticking down fast.

Violence begets violence. The Grimm had only reinforced that lesson, but if there was another answer, Blake couldn't see it yet. So she fixed her blade well to her belt, tightened her ribbon around her ears, and set out to fight wherever she was needed most.

No one would be grateful. Everyone would end up hurt, including her.

If the others knew what she was setting out to do, would they have been as supportive? Blake would like to think yes, but she had been through too much to be so hopeful.

Whatever happened next, this fight was hers, and hers alone.

* * *

Yang couldn't make up her mind about the picture.

On one hand, she was so moved that her father had given it to her, when she hadn't even asked for it or shown any interested. All her life, she had wondered how her mother looked, and here she was. The resemblance was uncanny, really. Though Yang did think her own hair color fit the look much better.

But there was something disturbing about the picture too, and it went beyond the fact that they were so similar. It was like she knew the person in the picture… like she had seen her before, but not quite…

"Whatever."

Yang secured the picture in her travel bag underneath her clothes. It was a prized keepsake, but it hadn't changed her life as it would have years ago. Knowing her mother… it would be great, but she was done chasing after the unlikely.

What Yang realized now is that, for all her life, she had been chasing a feeling. That chase had taken many forms: kickboxing; a road trip through Vale; searching for her mother…

But she was done with that, because she had found that feeling, and it filled her with purpose. Sure, maybe beating the living hell out of extradimensional nightmare creatures that could snap her in two if she made a small misstep wasn't exactly a healthy lifestyle…

But damn if it wasn't a lot of fun.

* * *

Jaune raised himself off the floor, breathing hard. That blow had hit a lot harder than he had been expecting. Then again, what exactly had he been expecting, with a sparring partner like his?

"Again?" Pyrrha offered him a hand. Jaune took it and almost collapsed when she pulled him up. "Oops. You're more tired than you look. Maybe we should take a break?"

"No, I'm just a little… breathless." Jaune shook his head, stepping back slowly to get some distance between the two of them.

He looked at Pyrrha again. She looked so serious, he almost felt like a Grimm about to fall prey to her. It was easy to forget that beneath her gentle personality lay the strongest warrior he knew.

"Pyrrha, you don't mind this, do you?" he asked, starting to feel a little guilty all of a sudden.

"Training you?" she lowered her shield a little. "Why would I mind?"

"What you said earlier… You've been this perfect agent all your life, right? And now, well, you don't have to be that anymore," Jaune said. "It just seems like you would rather be doing _normal_ stuff than fighting."

"You're right that no longer being with Beacon is freeing. I loved being a part of it, but it was lonely. Lonelier than you could ever imagine," Pyrrha said. "Everything is better now, but it's not about doing things. It doesn't matter whether I'm fighting or watching a movie, as long as it's with a friend, I'm happy. That's the gift you've given me. You, and Blake, and Ruby…"

She smiled at him, and Jaune couldn't help but smile back. That is, until she raised her shield again and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Enough standing around! If you wanna toughen up, you gotta keep going until you drop from exhaustion – or I _will_ drop you!" she stomped on the floor. "Now pick up your weapon!"

"H-holy…!" Nearly tripping over himself, Jaune rushed over to his new sword and picked it up off the floor. He held it in two hands before, trembling at the unfamiliar weight and the scary look on Pyrrha's face. "A-and now…?"

"Now… charge!"

* * *

"Hi, Mom. So, I have, like, the best news ever."

"Remember how I'm a superhero? Well, yeah, of course you remember. It's pretty much all I talk about. Anyway. Remember when Director Ozpin showed up and he was all like – _Hey, Miss Rose, you want to join this cool Initiative I came up with_? And I was like – _heck yes?_ – but then nothing happened?"

"Well, it finally happened. I have my own superhero team, and I'm the leader! We're called the Hunt, because we hunt down evil! It's super cool."

"My teammates are all awesome. There's Weiss Schnee, who turns out also has superpowers on top of being the best singer ever. Then there's Blake. She makes shadow clones and she broods a lot. But she can be pretty sweet – she even let me redesign her weapon."

"Oh, Yang's on the team too! She came back home after all this time, and everything's okay now. She won't be staying long, though, because we have this cool tower in Vale where we're all gonna live together."

"Anyway. There's Pyrrha, who's just the best Grimm slayer ever, and the last one is Jaune. We like to make fun of him, but he's a good fighter too. Well, I don't know about _fighter_ – but he's a good teammate, for sure!"

"That's everyone. So, yeah, I'm pretty stoked about this team. It's everything I ever dreamed about. Travelling all around the world, fighting evil, saving people…"

"I mean, not everything is awesome. We came together because of this woman, Cinder Fall, who Director Ozpin told us is pretty evil. And yeah, she did turn out to be evil. She helped the Grimm invade Vale in front of the whole world… she killed her own ally, Torchwick…"

"…I guess being a hero isn't as perfect as I thought. It won't always be Grimm that we're stopping. Sometimes it'll be people like Cinder. And even if they're evil, you gotta think… they're still people. Right?"

"That's the big news, then. Tomorrow I'm going back to school, and once that's over- oh wait, my Scroll's beeping. _Yeeep_ , there are gonna be Grimm here in Patch soon. I should take care of that before they get a chance to hurt someone."

Putting her Scroll back in her pocket, Ruby stood up and unfolded Crescent Rose. She looked down at her mother's grave and smiled.

"I hope I'm making you proud. See you next time, Mom."

* * *

**THE HUNT WILL RETURN**


	9. "Ah, there she is!"

The Grimm floated through the hallways of the castle, passing through countless windows that displayed a landscape of burning stone and viscous black lakes. The dark presence of its brethren surrounded it, new nightmares being born every second, older ones gaining strength. Soon, they would leave their twisted world and invade the other one.

The world filled with light.

The world of prey.

The Grimm reached the throne room and stopped to float at the side of its master. Its tentacles wavered close to her ear, whispering news of the light-world – darkness had seeped in, almost won over, but the prey had been too strong. Somehow, they had defended themselves. And the darkness' herald had laid down her arms and was now under the enemy's control, but refused to-

"Enough. I have waited thousands of years for this moment. What are a few more in the scope of that?"

The master raised her veiny fingers to caress the Grimm. On the light-world, her remaining heralds shuddered in disgust, dread, and elation.

"Let Ozpin amass his army. Let him have his faith. It will be crushed under the weight of his own failure."

"There will always be heroes. And in time…"

Salem rose from her throne.

"…they will all _burn_."


End file.
